More than 700,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke every year. Roughly two-thirds of these people survive and need stroke rehabilitation. Rehabilitation helps stroke survivors become more independent and improve their quality of life. While rehabilitation cannot reverse the brain damage caused by the stroke, proper rehabilitation can significantly assist people in achieving the best long-term outcomes possible.
Stroke rehabilitation helps those who have suffered strokes relearn the skills they lost due to the brain damage caused by the stroke. For instance, these skills may include coordinating leg movements to allow an individual to walk again or performing steps in a complex activity. Physical Therapists teach stroke survivors new ways to perform tasks to compensate for the loss of movement.
Following a stroke, an individual may have to adapt even the simplest task such as bathing and dressing. Limitations or decreased strength in extremities make these once simple tasks much more challenging. Communication can also be affected by difficulties speaking. Swallowing function may also be impacted.
Problems understanding and using language affect one-quarter of stroke survivors. Their ability to write, speak and understand written and spoken language is impaired. Patients may become incapable of saying the words they are thinking and unable to put words together in logical, grammatically correct sentences.
Emotional disturbance affects many of the people who survive a stroke. Understandably, anxiety, fear, sadness, frustration and grief for their mental and physical losses are common.
Rehabilitation experts agree that a well-focused and carefully directed repetitive practice is a fundamental element of any rehabilitation program.
The kinds of disabilities and the degree of impairment a stroke causes depend on the area of the damaged brain and how much damage was done. Comparing one person’s disability to another is difficult because every stroke may damage different parts of the brain and cause the following:
Sensory disturbances
Paralysis
Difficulty controlling movement
Problems understanding and using language
Emotional disturbance
Some sensory disturbances include the inability to feel pain, position, temperature, and touch. Incontinence may also occur.
Paralysis or difficulty controlling movements is very common following a stroke. Paralysis can affect the arm, face, leg, or one whole side of the body. If the cerebellum is damaged, coordinating movements becomes difficult, and this damage causes problems with walking, balance, and posture.
Therapy Within 24 to 48 Hours After Stroke
Rehabilitative therapy starts in the acute-care hospital once the individual’s condition is stable. The initial treatment intends to promote independent movement because a stroke frequently paralyzes or weakens parts of the body.
Passive and Active Range of Motion Exercises
Passive exercises are those exercises that the rehab team actively participates in, such as repetitively helping a patient move a limb. Active exercises are exercises that patients perform independently without assistance from a therapist. Many factors determine how fast patients progress in therapy, and the extent of damage done by the stroke plays an enormous part in the length of time that treatment is necessary.
Some individuals who survive a stroke will continue rehabilitation for months or even years afterward. This rehabilitation team helps stroke patients maintain and refine their skills. It’s essential to find a facility with dedicated therapists familiar with stroke rehabilitation. If you are looking for options after suffering a stroke, contact Shreveport Rehab Hospital today to learn more on how we can help. Our multidisciplinary approach to care has worked wonders for those requiring a stay at a rehab hospital in Milwaukee.
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