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Author:
Dr. Michael L. Johnson

Strokes affect millions of people every year and can be deadly. Some occur suddenly; some have pre-stroke warning signs. TIA’s, or transient ischemic attacks, may or may not happen prior to a stroke. During a TIA, a blood vessels going to the head or neck becomes partially occluded, and this decreases the oxygen available to the brain. During a TIA, a patient usually experiences symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, double vision or even a loss of consciousness.

There are two types of strokes. The first is ischemic. Ischemia occurs when the blood vessel becomes blocked and the brain doesn’t have enough oxygen to work properly. The blockage occurs from something occluding the vessel, and then the blood supply is shut off. Therefore, brain activity will be inhibited because the fuel supply is not adequate.

The second type of stroke is hemorrhagic. A hemorrhagic stroke is more severe than an ischemic stroke. With this type of stroke, the blood vessel actually bursts, causing bleeding within the skull. More damage occurs with this type of stroke.

People that have undergone a stroke have very similar characteristics. Usually, one side of the body does not work as well at the other side. For example, the right side may appear stiffer as compared to the other side. This stiffness or inability to move directly relates to brain function. If the right side of the body is rigid, this can be traced back to the left side of the brain. Short or long term memory may be impaired.

After a stroke, gait is often disturbed, speech is slurred, one side of the face appears droopy, and one leg is stiff, all of which are related to deficiency in brain function. Usually, one side of the brain has been affected. To gain back function of the areas damaged by the stroke, activities must be performed that influence those specific areas of the brain. Strokes have traditionally been with treated with pharmaceuticals, but the November 1998 issue of “The Journal of Neuroscience” documents that pharmaceutical-based treatment does not work unless coupled with behaviorally based physical change.

There are many non-pharmaceutical treatment modalities that are effective. Examples of these are visual stimulation on one side of the visual field, auditory stimulation in one ear, olfactory stimulation through one nostril, eye exercises through one visual plane, specific rehabilitative exercises firing to the efficient side, different word games, and different communication exercises. These modalities target specific areas within the brain and brainstem to achieve the exact amount of stimulation needed. All of these treatment protocols are referenced and scientifically based.

About the Author
Dr. Michael L. Johnson is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist with over twenty years of experience in private practice, over 850 hours of neurological studies, and 3800 hours of postgraduate education. His best-selling book "What Do You Do When the Medications Don't Work? - A Non-Drug Treatment of Dizziness, Migraine Headaches, Fibromyalgia, and Other Chronic Conditions" is available wherever books are sold. © 2005 M. L. Johnson

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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 Report... Stroke - Is Being Tied Up The Key To Being Set Free? You've suffered a right-hemisphere stroke, meaning the right side of your brain was impacted. The physical results, however, affect the left side of your body, resulting in weakness and partial paralysis. You've spent a harrowing three days on multiple hospital units, endured the poking and prodding of who-knows-how-many doctors and nurses and even, if you're not mistaken, a curious mechanic who happened to be passing through. It's time to go home. The thought of your own food and your own bed leaves you anxiously studying each excruciatingly slow tick of the clock. You're not in great shape, but you have a few positive things working in your favor and, thank goodness, the right side of your body is humming along nicely. Not that it won't be hard, but while you undergo therapy to regain the use of your left arm, you can still work your way through your daily routine with your right. Who ever said it takes two good hands to work a fork? Not so fast. You watch in horror as the doctor hands your wife a white cotton strap, about three inches wide, and says, "Use this to tie down his right arm first thing each morning. It will help him regain the use of his left arm more quickly." What? The stroke must have affected your ears as well. Surely you heard that wrong... Not at all. The therapy is known as Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and it is currently being studied at Emory University and six other medical centers across the country. The theory is relatively straightforward - to improve a non-function extremity it must be utilized to the fullest extent. There is no reasonable call for rest and recovery when the issue is stroke. The call of the day is action, the sooner the better. Emory and the other centers participated in the Extremity...