What is Stroke Rehabilitation?
Stroke is a medical condition that can cause significant impairment in cognition, motor, language, and sensory skills. Stroke rehabilitation refers to a program of different therapies developed by your healthcare provider to help you relearn skills lost after having a stroke. It can help you regain independence and improve your quality of life.
The brain requires a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients from the blood in order to function properly. A blockage, interruption, or severe reduction in the supply of blood to the brain can result in a condition called a stroke. A stroke is a medical emergency that leads to the death of brain cells within minutes of the interruption in blood supply. Prompt treatment is vital to minimize brain damage and improve outcomes.
Stroke is considered to be a leading cause of severe long-term disabilities and stroke rehabilitation can help you overcome these disabilities. Depending on the regions of your brain affected by the stroke, rehabilitation can assist with strength, speech, movement, and daily living skills. Researchers have noted that individuals who take part in a focused stroke rehabilitation program perform better than most individuals who do not participate in stroke rehabilitation. Hence, stroke rehabilitation is recommended for all individuals affected by stroke.
What is Involved in Stroke Rehabilitation?
There are several methods to assist individuals to recover from a stroke. Nevertheless, in general, rehabilitation is centered around specifically focused and repetitive actions. Your rehabilitation plan will depend upon the type of ability or region of the body affected by your stroke.
Physical activities may include:
- Range-of-Motion Therapy: In this therapy, certain treatments and exercises are employed to ease spasticity (muscle tension) and assist you to regain range of motion.
- Constraint-Induced Therapy: In this mode of therapy, the unaffected limb is restrained while you practice moving with the affected limb to aid in improving its function. This therapy is also known as forced-use therapy.
- Motor-Skill Exercises: Exercises can aid in improving muscle strength and coordination all over the body. These can include muscles used for walking, balance, and even swallowing.
- Mobility Training: You may learn to utilize mobility aids, such as a wheelchair, cane, walker, or ankle brace. For instance, an ankle brace can help strengthen and stabilize your ankle to support your body's weight while you relearn to walk.
Technology-assisted physical activities may include:
- Robotic Technology: Robotic devices can assist impaired limbs in performing repetitive motions, assisting the limbs to recover strength and function.
- Functional Electrical Stimulation: In this method, electricity is employed on weakened muscles, making them contract. Electrical stimulation may assist in re-educating your muscles.
- Virtual Reality: This involves the use of video games and other computer-based therapies for interacting with a simulated, real-time environment.
- Wireless Technology: An activity monitor may assist you in increasing activity after a stroke.
Cognitive and emotional activities may include:
- Psychological Evaluation and Treatment: This method involves testing your emotional adjustment. You may also participate in a support group or counseling.
- Therapy for Communication Disorders: Speech therapy can assist you in recovering lost abilities with listening, writing, speaking, and comprehension.
- Therapy for Cognitive Disorders: Speech therapy and occupational therapy can assist you with lost cognitive abilities, such as problem-solving, processing, memory, judgment, social skills, and safety awareness.
- Medication: Your physician may recommend an antidepressant or medication that affects movement, alertness, or agitation.
Therapies that are still being explored include:
- Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation: Techniques including transcranial magnetic stimulation have been employed with some success in a research setting to aid in improving a variety of motor skills.
- Alternative Medicine: Treatments including acupuncture, herbal therapy, and massage are being evaluated.
- Biological therapies, such as stem cells, are being explored, but should only be utilized as part of a clinical trial.
How is Stroke Rehabilitation Carried Out?
Stroke rehabilitation may be performed in a variety of settings, such as outpatient units, skilled nursing facilities, home-based programs, and inpatient rehabilitation units. Normally, stroke rehabilitation is begun as soon as a day or two after experiencing a stroke, while you are still in the hospital and involves a variety of specialists such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation nurses, and doctors for physical needs. Specialists who focus on vocational, emotional, and cognitive skills include social workers, psychologists, vocational counselors, therapeutic recreation specialists, and speech and language pathologists.
How Long Does Stroke Rehabilitation Last?
The length and extent of stroke rehabilitation required purely depends upon the acuteness of your stroke and related complications. Some stroke survivors recover quickly. But most require some form of long-term stroke rehabilitation. This could last for possibly months or years after their stroke. Your stroke rehabilitation plan will change through your recovery as you relearn skills and your requirements change. With steady practice, you can continue to make progress over time.
What are the Factors that Affect the Outcome of Stroke Rehabilitation?
Stroke recovery differs from individual to individual. It is difficult to predict how soon and how many abilities you may regain. In general, successful stroke rehabilitation depends upon:
- Emotional factors, including your mood and motivation, and your capacity to stick with rehabilitation activities outside of therapy sessions
- Physical factors, such as the severity of your stroke with regard to both physical and cognitive effects
- Therapeutic factors, such as an early start to your rehabilitation and the skill of your stroke rehabilitation team
- Social factors, including the support of your family and friends
The degree of recovery is usually greatest during the weeks and months after a stroke. Nevertheless, there is proof that performance can improve even 12 to 18 months after a stroke.