Number 66 in our countdown of '70 Ways Art Improves Our Health' highlights how art can help stroke survivors in their rehabilitation...

Stroke survivors experience physical, emotional, and social difficulties throughout their rehabilitation. Although some stroke survivors recover quickly, the majority need months or years of rehabilitation. Art can provide the emotional and practical support needed to speed up recovery, while also making rehab a bit more pleasant.

Art can be a powerful vehicle for communicating emotions and experiences that people may find difficult to express in other ways. Art, and particularly professional art therapy, can facilitate a space to mourn, confront fears and begin to discover new ways of living.

A Paintings in Hospitals drawing workshop

Creative art therapy for stroke survivors has been found to significantly decrease depression, improve physical functions and increase quality of life compared with conventional physical therapy alone.

But some research suggests that even a general love of the arts may boost stroke recovery. In 2012 researchers from the University Tor Vergata School of Nursing in Rome asked stroke survivors whether or not they liked art. The researchers then compared quality of life for patients who liked art and patients who didn’t.

“Stroke survivors who saw art as an integrated part of their former lifestyle, by expressing appreciation towards music, painting and theatre, showed better recovery skills than those who did not...”

Overall, art lovers reported lots of positive physical and mental health benefits. They had more energy, better general health and better mobility. They also reported being happier, less anxious or depressed and had better memory and communication skills.

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