Visualization and Acupressure as Tools in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Recovery
A Natural Health and Wellness Essay.
Americans suffer 1.5 million heart attacks and strokes each year. Put another way one in every three deaths are related to the cardiovascular system (heart, blood flow to the brain, blood vessels).That means in 40 seconds or about the amount of time it takes to read this paragraph, someone in the United States has a stroke.
It is never too early to use visualization.
Motor imagery is visualizing movement, yourself moving in a particular way, walking, running, shooting a basket or imagining how someone else would look as they jump, climb a mountain or finish a marathon.
A 2011 study noted, “The ability to walk is impaired in more than 80% of post-stroke patients. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the task-oriented circuit class training (TOCCT) with motor imagery (MI) on the gait during the subacute phase after a stroke.” They found, “Among the patients who had a stroke within the previous 4 to 12 weeks, the task-oriented circuit class training with motor imagery produced statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements in the gait and the gait-related activities. Verma, R., K. N. Arya, et al. (2011). “Task-oriented circuit class training program with motor imagery for gait rehabilitation in poststroke patients: a randomized controlled trial.” Top Stroke Rehabil 18 Suppl 1: 620–632.
Be specific. Use visual words and open ended questions. “When you can walk from here to the window, where do you want to walk?”
Ask the person to imagine something familiar, “Can you picture your yard at home? How long is the grass? What color are the flowers? Can you hear a train from your yard? Do you ever walk barefoot through the grass?”
For people with cognitive issues due to stroke, diabetic neuropathy, Alzheimer’s or dementia use sensory words that relate to the present moment and ask questions where there is no right answer. “How many shades of red do you see in this room? Which green do you prefer, this one or this one?”
In a hospital setting or a self care at home, people with cardiovascular disease and muscle related dysfunction can also use reflex points. Reflex point based therapies include: acupuncture and acupressure, osteopathic manual medicine (Chapman’s neurovascular reflexes), Integrative Manual Therapy Synchronizers, Hypothalamus Regulation Mechanism points, Reference points, and templates and reflexology.
These points can be rubbed, pressed, contacted, needled, vibrated with sound or other vibration mechanisms.
Here are four muscle related reflex points from an article about the palpation of muscle rhythms that can be used therapeutically or diagnostically in any muscle nerve related dysfunction like strokes, spinal cord injury, neuropathies, spasticity and dystrophies.
Here is the abstract: “In the last 50 years, researchers have delved into the presence and implication of muscle oscillations, frequencies, vibrations, rhythms and physiologic function. One such rhythm is the Piper rhythm at 40 Hz. There is also extensive support for the idea that human skin and hands can perceive vibrations in the range of 0.4 Hz to over 500 Hz. From the field of Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT) comes a technique based on the palpation of muscle rhythms and the resistance of these rhythms while contacting synchronizers or reflex points for improved muscle function, normalization of muscle tone and decreased pain.” Burnham, K., T. Giammatteo, et al. (2009). “Muscle Rhythms: A Manual Therapy Approach to Muscle Physiology.” Explore! for the Professional 18(2)
In a 2014 meta-analysis, researchers found, “The available evidence suggests that acupuncture may be effective for treating post-stroke neurological impairment and dysfunction such as dysphagia (speech and swallowing issues). These findings suggest that researchers should focus on the potential application of acupuncture to treat post-stroke neurological impairment and dysfunction and on the development of more precise tools to assess these improvements after stroke. Zhang, J. H., D. Wang, et al. (2014). “Overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of acupuncture for stroke.” Neuroepidemiology 42(1): 50–58.
In a study “to examine the effects of Meridian acupressure on the functions of affected upper extremities, activity of daily living and depression for stroke patients” researchers applied, “Meridian acupressure every day for 10 min per time in the experimental group (28 subjects) for two weeks. Routine care only was applied in the control group (28 subjects). Measures were a hand dynamometer for grip power, a 15-point graphic rating scale for pain, the distance round the index finger for oedema, electrogoniometry for the passive ROM of the upper extremities, the activity of daily living scale for activity of daily living and the six-face rating scale for depression.”
“There were significant differences in functions of affected upper extremities, activity of daily living and depression between experimental and control group.” Researchers concluded, “Meridian acupressure was an effective intervention for improving the movement of the affected upper extremities, increasing activity of daily living and decreasing depression of hemiplegia stroke patients.” Kang, H. S., S. R. Sok, et al. (2009). “Effects of Meridian acupressure for stroke patients in Korea.” J Clin Nurs 18(15): 2145–2152.
Visualization and reflex points can also be used to decrease anxiety which speeds up healing, supports the immune system and increases energy levels.
Another study “examined the role of anxiety and upper limb dysfunction, amongst other variables, as predictors of health related quality of life (HRQOL) 6 months after stroke. Anxiety and depression significantly predicted 49% of variance in overall HRQOL (p < 0.05), but only anxiety significantly predicted NHP pain (13% variance, p < 0.001), emotional reactions. Depression and anxiety together significantly predicted 30% variance in energy level.”
Researchers went on to say, “This study indicates that where anxiety is assessed, it appears more important in determining health related quality of life than depression. — Morris, J. H., F. van Wijck, et al. (2013). “Predicting health related quality of life 6 months after stroke: the role of anxiety and upper limb dysfunction.” Disabil Rehabil 35(4): 291–299.
There is also interesting 2013 research on the use of motor imagery in people in a coma. “Recent publications show that using imagery instructions, brain activation patterns indicating consciousness can be found in approximately 10% of patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS; previously called vegetative state). It is possible, however, that patients who cannot follow instructions (because of limited memory/attention capacities, for example) are nevertheless conscious and retain emotional abilities to feel pain and pleasure.”
Researchers went on to say, “Although there is debate about whether patients with UWS can perceive their own pain, our data indicate that many of them respond to the signals of pain in others. One can speculate that “affective consciousness” can remain even in patients with very severe brain damage who have no capacity for cognition.” Yu, T., S. Lang, et al. (2013). “Patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome respond to the pain cries of other people.” Neurology 80(4): 345–352.
In another study, researchers noted, “Our patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) demonstrated a relatively preserved motor imagery (MI) ability indicating that motor imagery could be used to aid rehabilitation and subsequent functional recovery. Oostra, K. M., A. Vereecke, et al. (2012). “Motor imagery ability in patients with traumatic brain injury.” Arch Phys Med Rehabil 93(5): 828–833. Neurology 80(4): 345–352.
In another study, researchers noted, “Our patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) demonstrated a relatively preserved motor imagery (MI) ability indicating that motor imagery could be used to aid rehabilitation and subsequent functional recovery. Oostra, K. M., A. Vereecke, et al. (2012). “Motor imagery ability in patients with traumatic brain injury.” Arch Phys Med Rehabil 93(5): 828–833.
So even if the person is in a coma, it is important to talk to and work with them as if they can hear, understand and feel you because sometimes they can.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on June 3, 2014.
