Around 100,000 people have strokes every year. They can happen at any time, to anyone, of any age, and the aftermath can be life changing for survivors. While everyone’s experience is different, many people are left with physical and/or emotional issues which make moving on from their stroke really challenging.
One of the most prevalent conditions among stroke survivors is fatigue. Research suggests post-stroke fatigue is the most common secondary condition, affecting around half of survivors – although the complexities of recording post-stroke fatigue means the actual figure could be much higher.
Fatigue can be debilitating. In fact, up to 40% of stroke survivors report it as their worst or one of their worst symptoms. Without effective treatment for post stroke fatigue, it impacts physical rehabilitation and recovery, it delays getting back to work, socialising and doing the things you love, and stops you returning to living a normal, independent life. The fatigue can last for weeks, months, sometimes years.
Research suggests that fatigue in those early weeks after a stroke can be a marker for longer term health issues, and that more needs to be done to diagnose and provide treatment for post-stroke fatigue both in the early and later recovery periods. However, help for post stroke fatigue often focuses on pacing and a phased return to activity, rather than tackling the root cause, so it often doesn’t provide a consistent or lasting resolution for stroke survivors.
There are 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK, and I am one of them. My (Ischaemic) stroke happened on 31st August 2023. It was a very difficult chapter in my life and, like other stroke survivors, I found that the fatigue which came in its wake knocked me for six, particularly in the first few months.
But after 16 years of helping people to overcome chronic fatigue related to many different health conditions and understanding the body-mind connection which drives it, I applied the same principles to my own recovery, and on the first anniversary of my stroke, I climbed Wales’s highest mountain peak, Snowdon. You can read more about my story here.
My story may be different to yours – your long-term fatigue after stroke may be made worse by disruption to sleep, pain, medication side effects and even difficulties eating which make getting enough nutrition and energy challenging. Irrespective of whether all those factors have been resolved, if you’re experiencing fatigue, read on.
Using the techniques developed for the New Pathways Programme – including the latest neuro linguistic programming (NLP) language, visualisations, breathing and movement exercises – and incorporating my own first-hand experience as a stroke survivor, we are now offering treatment for post stroke fatigue on our dedicated Post-Stroke Fatigue Coaching Programme.
New Pathways was designed to tackle the root cause of chronic fatigue – the ‘chronic stress response’ – which keeps the body in a state of stress (as if its fighting for survival) when it doesn’t need to be. This protective state can be triggered by many different types of physical, mental and emotional trauma, including strokes, and if left unchecked it quickly leads to exhaustion and long-term fatigue.
Effective treatment for post stroke fatigue relies on breaking the cycle and is achieved through retraining the brain to stop the unconscious stress response, replacing it with positive responses that allow the body and mind to function in a normal and healthy way (homeostasis). With the New Pathways Post-Stroke Fatigue Coaching Programme, you’ll learn the techniques to help you do this so you can finally move forward – as I did – and get back to doing the things you enjoy.
As a stroke survivor myself I know how frustrating post-stroke fatigue can be and how tough it can make doing normal things that used to be so simple. But there is help for fatigue after stroke.
If you are interested in finding out more about our treatment for post-stroke fatigue, book a discovery call with Steve today.
GP and Practice Team Bulletin October 2010 Complementary healthcare regulation.
