Yoga for stroke victims

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Dear members,

My 40 year old client suffered a massive stroke 15months ago. Her carotid artery severed on the left side so her whole right side was affected. She has been through rehab and physical thereapy. She is walking and talking and doctors say she is up for a full recovery. She limps when she walks but most of the feeling is coming back except for her middle toe on the right foot. I have given one session so far with very basic pavanmuktasana and gentle stretches followed by short yoga nidra. Am concerned as to what I can and cannot do with her. Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Jacqueline.

#2

Namaste Jacqueline,

I spoke to friend of mine who is also a yogi and who herself at 56 suffered a massive stroke as well and is left with Bell’s Palsy on the rightside of her face. She assured me that if it wasn’t for the yoga her recovery would have been much slower than it was. She herself avoid any of the inverted poses, she suffers from high blood pressure and she is on blood thinning medication for blood clots. Any pose where she has to roll forward on her head she avoids, like the child pose, because pressure in the facial area increase the severity of the Bell’s Palsy for her.

I think what I am trying to say is that each stroke patient is unique and what you need to do is to speak to her doctor and her physio, get the full picture of all her medical conditions and take it from there. As I understand it, what works for one stroke patient might not work for the next.

Good luck and perhaps a few individual sessions with this lady might be beneficial to first determine what is comfortable for her and what not. Sorry i can’t offer more, but hope this helps.

#3

Hello Jaqueline,

This is a fairly serious therapeutic issue and I’m not comfortable putting much to words around it. I would instead suggest that you either a) contact those who facilitated your yoga training, b) contact a peer from that training, c) contact a senior teacher, or d) refer the student to a senior teacher.

#4

I’m not comfortable recommending specific asana, but I WOULD have her start meditating. Having a stroke at 40 tells me she should be doing a significant amount of meditating. Some people try to “go elsewhere” during meditation. I would coach her to really come into her body and feel it as intensely as she can. Don’t label anything good or bad, just feel. She needs to reestablish herself in her body and develop a loving, trusting relationship with it.

#5

Hello
About asanas and pranayama a seniopr techer sure would be a wise decision.
But still I?ve seen a couple of students who had a stroke benefiting of Yoga Nidra to recover again.

All the best
Lars