The initial weeks and months after stroke are incredibly discouraging. Most of your days are spent inside, walking up the stairs can feel like a monumental challenge, and you’re dependent upon others to travel around town.
After I returned home from inpatient rehab, I was desperate to learn more about stroke recovery, what I should do to maximize my recovery, and what in the world exactly were arteriovenous malformations — the cause of my stroke.
However, since reading and looking at a computer screen were significant challenges for me that soon after stroke, I spent countless hours streaming podcasts and stroke recovery videos on Youtube through my television.
Looking for the most effective practices to use in my recovery after stroke, I had so little energy and not much to do in those days so I would often make popcorn and watch podcasts or educational videos as if they were a movie.
Over the past two years, these are the five podcasts I’ve found to be most helpful in my recovery. They are listed in no particular order*
Top 5 Podcasts for Stroke Survivors
Hosted by Andrew Huberman, this podcast series explores various neuroscience topics and discusses some of the most effective lifestyle changes and supplements that support mental and physical health.
Some particular episodes I’ve enjoyed include those on improving your fitness and how to sleep better.
Stroke Survivor Bill Gasiamis hosts a weekly podcast where he interviews stroke survivors about their experiences in recovery.
Stroke survivors often share many similar challenges so it’s always great to hear others discuss experiences similar to mine and how they’ve overcome those challenges. I was grateful to join Bill for an episode of his podcast that you can find on YouTube.
3) Hidden Brain
The only podcast on this list that I listened to before my stroke is the Hidden Brain podcast. Hosted by Shankar Vedantam, episodes of Hidden Brain discuss how unconscious patterns drive our behavior, decision-making, and more.
Some of my favorite episodes include this discussion on post-traumatic growth, the importance of having a growth mindset, and this episode on the differences between the left and right hemispheres of our brain.
Noggins & Neurons is a podcast for anyone interested in recovery from stroke or brain injury. The podcast covers a number of topics related to occupational and physical therapy.
I found a number of the episodes released in 2021 right around the time of my stroke to be very informative, including this series of episodes on what works and what doesn’t work in recovery after stroke.
5) This is Your Brain with Dr. Phil Stieg
Dr. Phil Stieg is the Neurosurgeon-in-Chief at the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. In this podcast series, Stieg and a variety of guests explore different aspects of how our brain works and what that means for our day-to-day lives.
I’ve enjoyed the episodes on circadian rhythm, the differences in the two hemispheres of our brain, and what makes storytelling so powerful.
Best Podcasts for Recovery After Stroke
I hope you might find one of these podcasts enjoyable and informative for your recovery after stroke.
If there’s a podcast that you found to be helpful in stroke recovery, be sure to drop a note about it in the comments. I’d love to check it out!
Stroke Recovery Rehab 
So happy I found you on Substack yesterday! I’ve read everything you have written so far. Great information and so helpful for me! I had a stroke on May 13th of this year so I am a little over two months into my recovery. The information you have included in your blog posts will definitely help me as I travel my recovery journey. In fact, I have already put some of it to good use TODAY. Blessings to you for your work!
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Happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the blog! Thank you for your feedback, I’m grateful I was able to provide some useful information. Wishing you the best in your recovery!
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