Stroke Recovery - The Road to Recovery - Oren Zarif - Stroke Recovery

After a stroke, the first goal of medical care is to reduce brain damage and maximize patient recovery. For optimal health outcomes, patients with suspected stroke are admitted to an acute stroke unit. There are many important steps that must be taken to ensure a patient's stroke recovery. Listed below are a few of those steps. Getting proper care immediately after a stroke is essential to a patient's recovery. These steps will help speed recovery and ensure a patient's best chance at a full recovery.

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Physical therapy is a vital component of stroke recovery. Physical therapy and occupational therapy can help a person regain speech and other communication skills. Speech and language therapists can also help a patient learn new ways of communicating. Memory loss is another sign that the brain is undergoing stroke-related damage. Other symptoms may include distorted judgment and behavioral changes. Previously outgoing individuals may become more reclusive and withdrawn. Some may even have reduced inhibitions and behave erratically.

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During a hospital stay, a healthcare team will work to stabilize the patient's condition. They will take steps to minimize brain damage, reduce pressure on the brain, and treat any risk factors that can lead to a recurrent stroke. They will also manage breathing, heart function, blood pressure, and other symptoms. After stabilizing the patient, rehabilitation will begin. The earlier the patient begins rehabilitation, the higher their chances of recovering damaged brain function.

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Depending on the severity of the stroke, the treatment begins. It may include emergency care, rehabilitation to treat any stroke-related side effects, and prevention of another stroke. However, the recovery path will differ for every individual. Regardless of the cause, a stroke patient will need continuous support and work to improve their life. This may require help from family and friends as well as medical professionals. But, regardless of the cause of the stroke, the road to recovery is long, hard work.

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After a stroke, patients will probably need to undergo physical, occupational, and speech therapy. An inpatient rehab facility specializing in post-stroke recovery, like Rehab Select, will offer physical, occupational, and speech therapy, as well as doctors specializing in stroke recovery. They will also know what resources are available in the community. Stroke rehab staff can put a patient in touch with specialists, support groups, and in-home caregivers.

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A person's recovery will likely slow down after 3 months of rehabilitation. Once a stroke survivor is home-bound and outpatient therapy, they will reach a plateau and make little progress. It's important to remain optimistic and continue your rehabilitation. The goal is to eventually regain all lost skills. However, if a stroke survivor reaches a plateau, the patient may begin to rely on self-care tasks (also called activities of daily living), like dressing, brushing their teeth, and cooking.

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After a stroke, a patient may be discharged from the hospital or moved to a rehabilitation center. Once discharged, they can continue therapy in the outpatient rehabilitation facility, or at home. Depending on their recovery, inpatient rehab can last up to three weeks and require three hours of therapy each day. Some stroke patients even do rehab on their own, using home-therapy equipment or following videos online. After a stroke, rehabilitation should be a major factor in a patient's recovery.

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While stroke survivors may not have noticeable physical damage to their bodies, they may experience emotional disturbances. The physical damage to the brain can cause personality changes. Consequently, a person may experience post-stroke depression, which can interfere with daily functioning. Treatment for post-stroke depression may include anti-depressant medications or psychological counseling. After stroke rehabilitation, patients should gradually transition from compensatory techniques to everyday activities. So, when can patients return to work, school, and play?

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Rehabilitation may also address spasticity, an inability to communicate with muscles. Spasticity occurs when the brain fails to communicate with muscles and results from the damage from the stroke. During the Brunnstrom stages of stroke recovery, spasticity improves. Muscle twitches may also be signs of other post-stroke complications. In these stages, rehabilitation may focus on restoring the ability to move the affected limbs. They may work on restoring the ability to perform complex and synergistic movement patterns and resume meaningful occupations.

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Rehabilitation starts as soon as the first symptoms of stroke have been treated. Rehabilitation involves exercises to restore a patient's range of motion and strength. Depending on the type of stroke, rehabilitation may begin within 24 hours or 48 hours after a stroke. In addition to exercise, ongoing rehab helps stroke patients build long-term gains. A stroke recovery timeline is a rough guide to what to expect. But the timetable for the process is important. This will be different for each patient.