Physical Therapy Stroke Rehabilitation: Stroke Therapy: Recovery & Rehabilitation

Have you or a loved one recently suffered a stroke? Have you been searching for stroke therapy that will help you or your loved one relearn basic skills and restore independence? Then this article is for you. This article will provide information about stroke therapy and discuss how individuals can recover from strokes and return to a more normal lifestyle with rehabilitation.

Recovery from a stroke is a lifelong process. For many individuals, stroke therapy or recovery begins with rehabilitation, which can restore a victim’s independence by improving mental, physical and emotional functions. The goal of rehabilitation is to help stroke victims relearn basic skills that may have been taken away affecting their ability to eat, walk, dress themselves and speak.

Statistics indicate that there are approximately 6.5 million people in the United States who are stroke survivors and are living with the after-effects. This is a staggering number but these numbers do not truly reflect the scope of the problem. They do not include the millions of wives, husbands, children and other family members who care for stroke survivors and are also affected by stroke.

The word “stroke” indicates that no one is ever truly prepared for this sudden and often catastrophic event. Stroke victims and their loved ones can find workable solutions to many difficult situations by approaching these problems with patience, perseverance, ingenuity and creativity.

Early Recovery
Information is continually evolving about how the brain compensates for damage done by stroke or brain attack. Some brain cells may be temporarily damaged and may resume functioning while others die completely. It has been shown that, in some cases, the brain reorganizes its own functioning. In this case, one region of the brain will “take over” for a damaged region. Stroke victims sometimes, though rarely, experience unanticipated and remarkable recoveries that are unexplainable. General recovery guidelines show:

– 10 percent of survivors recover almost completely
– 25 percent of stroke survivors recover with minor impairments
– 40 percent of survivors experience impairments requiring special care
– 10 percent require care in a long-term health care facility such as a nursing home
– 15 percent die shortly after suffering the stroke

Stroke Therapy or Rehabilitation
Stroke therapy or rehabilitation starts in the hospital as soon as possible after the patient has suffered a stroke. Patients who are stable may start rehabilitation within two days after suffering the stroke and treatment is commonly continued as necessary after release from the hospital. Depending on the severity of the stroke, stroke therapy or rehabilitation options include:

– A rehabilitation unit or center in the hospital
– A rehabilitation hospital
– A sub-acute care unit
– Home stroke therapy
– Home with outpatient stroke therapy
– A long-term facility that provides stroke therapy and skilled nursing care

The goal of stroke therapy or rehabilitation is to improve the patient’s function so that they can become as independent as possible. This must be accomplished in a way that preserves the patient’s dignity and motivates them to relearn basic skills such as walking, eating and dressing.

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