People who have had strokes often have a number of muscular, physiological, and even psychological issues that can limit their mobility. You should work with your physician to minimize the effects of these issues to maximize your stroke recovery. A full physiotherapy assessment may be needed - talk to your doctor.

Muscular Problems That Affect Balance and Mobility

Some of the problems you may have after your stroke:

  • Muscle control loss - muscles are what move us around, and also help us to keep balance.
  • Weak muscles - your muscles need to be strong enough to support your weight against gravity and to move you forward.
  • Ataxia - your muscles may work but the movements are weak and are not properly coordinated. This may occur in a person who has had cerebellum damage from a stroke. That area is very important for balance, muscle tone and coordinating movement.
  • Changed muscle tone - your muscles may be stiff or floppy. This reduces the ability of the muscles to move and to respond. 
  • Dyspraxia - you have difficulty coordinating, performing, or carrying out certain movements.

Physiological Problems

Your body may have reduced or changed sensation and feeling down one side of the body. If you cannot feel your left leg, you may have little confidence in it, which can make walking hard.

Also, brain damage from a stroke can cause you to not pay attention to one part of your body. If you are not aware of your right leg, you may not remember to move it when you walk.

Some stroke patients suffer from vision problems, which can make balance and mobility very challenging. Further, you may experience dizziness that can affect balance. Drug side effects also can cause dizziness.

Psychological Problems

After your stroke, your physical problems can lead to psychological issues that affect mobility. For example, you may have a strong fear of falling, which can make you less mobile. Or, your stroke may fill you with concern or worry, which affects concentration and your ability to move about safely.

As we mentioned above, you should talk to your medical professional about any of these issues that you have that are affecting your mobility. You CAN overcome most of these problems with proper medical interventions and help.