Information About Post-Stroke Rehab
Have you or a loved one recently suffered a stroke? Have you been looking for information about common stroke disabilities, the types of healthcare professionals who specialize in post-stroke rehab, or typical places where survivors can go to receive post-stroke rehab service? Then this article is for you. This article will provide information about strokes as well as post-stroke rehab.
A cerebrovascular accident (CVA), commonly referred to as a stroke, is the rapidly developing loss of brain function(s) due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to a lack blood flow, a hemorrhage or caused by a blockage. As a result of the brain not receiving proper blood supply, the affected area is not able to function, leading to inability to understand or formulate speech, inability to move one side of the body or one or more limbs or an inability to see one part of the visual field.
In the United States of America approximately 700,000 individuals suffer a stroke each year and roughly two-thirds of these people survive and require post-stroke rehab. The goal of this therapy is to help stroke survivors become as independent as possible. Even though post-stroke rehab does not "cure" the survivor in that it does not reverse the damage to the brain, therapy can help survivors achieve the best-possible long-term outcome.
Common disabilities associated with strokes include paralysis or problems with motor control, sensory disturbances including pain, aphasia, problems with thinking and memory and emotional disturbances.
Paralysis or loss of motor control is one of the most common disabilities that patients suffer from after a stroke. Sensory disturbances cause some stroke sufferers to lose the ability to feel pain, temperature, touch or even position. Aphasia means a patient has problems using or understanding language. A stroke can also cause damage to the part of the brain responsible for learning, memory and awareness. Emotional disturbances cause many stroke survivors to feel anxiety, fear, sadness, anger, frustration and a sense of grief for their mental and physical losses.
The initial stage of post-stroke rehab commonly occurs within an acute-care hospital. When the survivor is discharged, the family and the survivor commonly coordinate with hospital social workers to find a suitable living arrangement. A majority of stroke survivors return to their homes, however some move to some type of medical facility including an inpatient rehabilitation unit, outpatient unit, nursing facility and home-based rehabilitation programs.
Post-stroke rehab involves a variety of medical professions including physicians, physical therapists, rehabilitation nurses, occupational and recreational therapists and speech-language pathologists.
Physicians are primarily responsible for coordinating and managing the long-term care of stroke survivors. Rehabilitation nurses help patients relearn how to carry out basic activities of everyday living. Physical therapists are trained to treat individuals with disabilities related to sensory and motor impairments. Similar to physical therapists' post-stroke rehab, occupational therapists are commonly concerned with improving sensory and motor abilities. Speech-language pathologists help stroke patients with aphasia relearn to use language or develop an alternate means of communication.
Recovery from a stroke is a lifelong process. For many individuals, post-stroke rehab or recovery begins with therapy, which can restore a stroke survivor's independence by improving mental, physical and emotional functions. The goal of post-stroke rehab is to help stroke survivors relearn basic skills that may have been taken away such as eating, walking, dressing and talking.
About the Author:
Ed Koeneman is COO and co-founder of Kinetic Muscles (KMI). KMI is a leading provider of products for stroke recovery. For more information about The Hand Mentor(TM), The Foot Mentor (TM) or any of our post-stroke rehab products, visit our website.
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