Deans' stroke musings: Physiotherapists’ use of aerobic exercise during stroke rehabilitation: a qualitative study using chart-stimulated recall

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Friday, October 17, 2025

Physiotherapists’ use of aerobic exercise during stroke rehabilitation: a qualitative study using chart-stimulated recall

How the hell are you supposed to be doing aerobic exercise WHEN YOUR DOCTOR COMPLETELY FUCKING FAILED TO GET YOU 100% RECOVERED?

Physiotherapists’ use of aerobic exercise during stroke rehabilitation: a qualitative study using chart-stimulated recall

Azadeh Barzideh,Augustine Joshua Devasahayam,Ada Tang,Elizabeth Inness,Susan Marzolini,Sarah Munce, show all

Pages 5503-5515 | Received 17 Dec 2023, Accepted 18 Mar 2025, Published online: 25 Mar 2025

Cite this article https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2025.2482841

Abstract

Purpose

We aimed to explore the factors that affected physiotherapists’ use of aerobic exercise during stroke rehabilitation for people with stroke.

Material and methods

We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using thematic analysis informed by a pragmatic worldview. Physiotherapists attended one on one semi-structured interviews to answer some general questions about aerobic exercise and then discussed the charts of their four most recently discharged clients with stroke. Both deductive and inductive coding were used for analysis.

Results

Ten physiotherapists participated. Healthcare policies and limited resources were mostly discussed in general questions while specific profiles of clients with stroke, their goals and preferences were mostly discussed in patient specific questions. Three themes were identified: (1) physiotherapists’ perspectives and practices regarding aerobic exercise; (2) profiles of people with stroke, as well as their goals and their exercise modality preferences; and (3) influence of health system priorities, rehabilitation intensity policy, and resources.

Conclusions

Physiotherapists’ behaviours regarding use of aerobic exercise for people with stroke are not a binary behaviour of prescribing or not prescribing aerobic exercise. Their behaviours are better understood on a continuum; between two ends of not prescribing aerobic exercise, and prescribing aerobic exercise with defined intensity, duration, and frequency.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

Aerobic exercise employment in day to day practice is not a binary behaviour rather, not prescribing aerobic exercise for any client is on one end of the continuum, and prescribing aerobic exercise with sufficient intensity, duration, and frequency to improve cardiorespiratory fitness for any client is on the other end.
Aerobic exercise was often less of a priority in stroke rehabilitation because physiotherapists took clients’ physical, cognitive, and social factors, along with their goals into account.
We suggest improving the practicality of guidelines by including clients’ preferences and providing adequate instructions on tailoring the care to the clients’ needs and preferences.