Why does muscle weakness occur after a stroke and how can it be rehabilitated?

Reviewed by Yoshinori Abe, MD

Internal Medicine

Muscle weakness after a stroke happens because the brain can't control muscles well anymore, and it can be improved with exercises and therapy.

Important Next Steps

Find if muscle weakness needs urgent care Discover likely causes of your muscle weakness See whether stroke rehab symptoms need evaluation Find OTC options for muscle weakness relief Find a doctor for stroke rehabilitation Learn medically valid home remedies for weakness Understand if muscle weakness could be stroke-related

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Explanation

After a stroke, muscle weakness occurs because the brain, which controls the muscles, is damaged. This damage makes it hard for the brain to send signals to the muscles, causing them to become weak. Over time, the muscles can also shrink or lose strength because they are not used as much.

To help make the muscles stronger again, rehabilitation is important. This can include different exercises and therapies:

Physical Therapy: Helps improve movement and strength with special exercises.
Strength Training: Focuses on making muscles stronger through specific exercises.
Routine Assessments: Regular checks can help measure how strong the muscles are getting.

These methods can help the muscles get stronger and work better over time. If you're experiencing muscle weakness or other concerning symptoms, you can use Ubie's free AI-powered symptom checker to better understand your condition before consulting with healthcare professionals to get the best results.

(References)

Gray V, Rice CL, & Garland SJ. (2012). Factors that influence muscle weakness following stroke .... Physiotherapy Canada. Physiotherapie Canada, 23997398.
Rabelo M, Nunes GS, da Costa Amante NM, de Noronha M, & Fachin-Martins E. (2016). Reliability of muscle strength assessment in chronic post- .... Topics in stroke rehabilitation, 26243549.
Ramsay JW, Barrance PJ, Buchanan TS, & Higginson JS. (2011). Paretic muscle atrophy and non-contractile tissue content .... Journal of biomechanics, 21945568.

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