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Author:
Jason Gluckman

In the U.S. around 70,000 people suffer a Stroke each year. Rehab is crucial to help the victims of Strokes cope with the effects of a Stroke and recover to a normal and healthy life.

How well a patient recovers from a Stroke depends on many factors. Minimizing brain damage during the Stroke will make Rehab faster and more effective. Rehab cannot cure the Stroke but can help in long-term recovery of the aftereffects of brain damage.

The first step would be to diagnose a Stroke. A number of tests may be done on the patient to diagnose the type of Stroke so that the professionals can determine a treatment and Rehab plan. This includes blood pressure, blood sampling, X-ray, E.C.G., Echocardiogram, brain scans such as MRI and CT scans, and Carotid Ultrasound scanning.

After the diagnosis the medical treatment begins. During a Stroke brain tissue is damaged by blood clots (ischemic Stroke) and /or internal bleeding (hemorrhagic Stroke). Various drug treatments must be started immediately to treat this condition. If used soon enough, they can help prevent damage to the brain.

These include-Anti-platelet drugs, such as aspirin, to prevent clotting, anti-coagulant drugs, cholesterol lowering drugs, and antihypertensive drugs. Some patients may go in for surgical procedures like stenting to clear the clogs and reduce the intensity of the Stroke.

Rehabilitation therapy begins in the emergency care hospital within 24-48 hours after the Stroke, once the patient has stabilized. Rehabilitation of Stroke victims is a difficult and time-consuming task. It helps the Stroke survivors to relearn skills that are lost by brain damage during the Stroke.

It also teaches new skills to make up for any disabilities and to practice and relearn communication, memory, and vocational and physical skills. Commonly people have a surge of recovery in the weeks following the Stroke, followed by a slower recovery in the next year or so.

Stroke can cause five types of disabilities: Paralysis, problems controlling movement, sensory disturbances including pain, problems using or understanding language, and emotional disturbances.

Paralysis is the most common result of Stroke. It causes problems of movement, posture and swallowing. Left-brain damage causes right-limb paralysis. Stroke victims may also experience sensory problems like pain, numbness and loss of feeling. Some may have aphasia, problems using or understanding language. People with Global aphasia may lose all their linguistic abilities.

Stroke can also cause damage to the parts of the brain related to memory, learning and awareness. Some also experience severe emotional trauma involving fear, anxiety, frustration and suicidal thoughts.

During the Rehabilitation process, physicians are responsible for the long-term care of the Stroke survivors, including neurologists who look after acute care and physiatrists who look after the Rehab program. Physical therapists help patients with mobility issues like walking, climbing stairs and maintaining balance. Occupational therapists teach them daily living activities like feeding, grooming and using the toilet. Speech therapists help with language skills and swallowing problems. Rehab nurses care for the patient and educate the family concerning how to care for them. Social workers help Stroke survivors and their families with counseling and community resources.

Stroke is a serious disease, rendering the survivor in a weak and delicate position. The need for aftercare and Rehab is high, as the aftereffects of a Stroke are numerous and interfere with normal life function in an unmanageable way. It is only with the help of this team of doctors, nurses and therapists that the patient can be Rehabilitated.

Rehab provides detailed information about rehab, alcohol rehab, cardiac rehab, drug rehab and more. Rehab is the sister site of Medical Alert Bracelets.

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A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Stroke... Air Pollution Hikes Stroke Risk Copyright 2005 Daily News Central The type of stroke that results when a blood clot travels to the brain -- called an ischemic stroke -- is more likely to occur on days when the air contains a larger concentration of particulate matter, according to a study published online in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) examined air quality on a total of 37,000 days in nine cities. Risk of hospitalization for ischemic stroke was 1 percent higher on days with relatively high levels of air pollution, compared with low-air pollution days, reports lead author Gregory Wellenius, ScD, postdoctoral fellow in cardiology at BIDMC. Third Cause of Death in US "Although these effects sound relatively small," says Wellenius, "given the large number of people exposed to air pollution and the large number of people at risk for stroke ... the actual number of strokes could be significant." Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US, affecting more than 700,000 individuals each year. A "consistent increased risk" for cardiac health problems associated with exposure to ambient air particles was established in earlier research by Wellenius and coauthors Murray Mittleman, MD, DrPH, of BIDMC's Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit and Joel Schwartz, PhD, of HSPH. "Air pollution has been shown to trigger heart attacks and to aggravate the conditions of patients with congestive heart failure," says Mittleman, who is also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "These new findings, demonstrating that incidence of clot-based strokes also increase, [are] in keeping with our earlier data showing a relationship between air pollution...