How to Stretch a Bent or Flexed Spastic Stroke Leg | Flexion Synergy

In this video, I'm going to share with you some stretched that can help you stretch your leg and reduce flexion spasticity after a stroke. Spasticity is a condition that causes your muscles to become stiff and tight, making it hard to move and perform daily activities. It can happen if you have a stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiole sclerosis, cerebral palsy among others. It can affect different parts of your body, but in this video, we'll focus on the leg flexion spasticity synergy.

The first exercise is hip adduction. You’ll need to lay it on your side with the affected or stroke leg on top. Since your hip is abducted or the knee is pointing out, we need to stretch your hip, so that your knee will point in. Hold this position as long as you can.

The second exercise is hip extension. To do this stretching you’ll need to lay on your bed as close to the edge as possible. Bring your stroke legs off your bed to extend your hip. Hold this position for as long as you can and pump until you feel that you have reached the maximum hip extension.

The third exercise is called the knee extensions. This exercise can help you straighten your knee and lower leg. To do this exercise, you'll need a chair to sit on. Here's how to do it:
If you’re hip is back to being flexed, push your thigh down and once it is stretched, push your foot out with your unaffected leg and once you are able to push it as far as you can, assist your knee, and extending, by pushing it down a little bit more. If you have ankle weights, please, your ankle weights around your knee, to give it a more sustained stretch.

The fourth exercise is called foot plantar flexion stretch. To do this stretch, sit on your couch or a regular chair and kept your leg straight and extend it. Put an ankle weights on the top of your foot and keep it there for a few minutes.

The fifth exercise is foot inversion. To do this exercise or stretch, place a rolled up, face towel or washcloth along side, the inner border under your foot.

These are some of the exercises that can help you stretch your leg and reduce spasticity after a stroke. You can do them at home or with the guidance of an occupatiinal therapist. Remember to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of the exercises as you feel more comfortable. You can also try shifting your weight while sitting, using muscle braces, or taking medications prescribed by your doctor to manage spasticity.
#stroke #traumaticbraininjury #multiplesclerosis

LINKS:
ANKLE WEIGHTS: https://amzn.to/3OY9ThY
WEDGE: https://amzn.to/3OY9ThY
Book about how a woman recovered from her stroke: https://amzn.to/3IWGbWC
Improve memory for patients with
aphasia, stroke, traumatic brain injury: https://amzn.to/3IWGbWC

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Disclaimer:
This video should not replace the necessity of visiting your doctor or getting your occupational therapy session done. Please consult your primary care physician before doing any of this. The video is for educational purposes only.

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