After a stroke, people suffer from various aftereffects and physical impairments.
Depending on the location of the brain damage, symptoms vary widely, including autonomic neuropathy such as incontinence and constipation, movement disorders such as muscle atrophy, and cognitive disorders such as dementia and disturbance of consciousness.
In a stroke, which has a risk of causing many disabilities, it is necessary to think about how to reduce the disability after the onset. (Naturally, it is also important to prevent strokes from occurring.)
Therefore, what is important is when to start rehabilitation after the onset.
Depending on when you start, the expected value of the recovery of the aftereffects will be greatly influenced.
In other words, proper rehabilitation at the right time is a shortcut to recovering from the aftereffects.
In this article, we will introduce the necessary rehabilitation from the acute stage immediately after the onset of stroke to the recovery stage.
I hope this helps you with your post-stroke rehabilitation needs.
table of contents
What is important in stroke rehabilitation
start on the day of onset
The important thing in stroke rehabilitation is to start rehabilitation as soon as possible, or within three days at the latest.
Early rehabilitation does not require any special tools and can be done without a specialist.
For example, movements such as raising your hands, stretching your legs, getting out of bed and sitting down are the most effective at this time of year.
If you can do this, the road to recovery will be greatly expanded.
exercise on your own
In rehabilitation, it is very important to move the body by yourself instead of having others move it.
Of course, there are situations where passive exercise is effective, but self-moving exercise is an important point in rehabilitation.
Do not weaken the healthy side
It is often misunderstood in stroke rehabilitation that it is important not only to move the affected part, but also to move the non-impaired side (healthy side).
In patients with paralysis, it is important not to weaken the unaffected side.
This is because if the unaffected side can be used, movements such as moving to a wheelchair or toilet can be performed, and daily activities can be performed even if the paralyzed side does not recover.
It is important not to neglect the rehabilitation of the healthy side by being distracted by the paralyzed side.
Understanding the flow of treatment
The rehabilitation process can be divided into the following.
(1) Acute phase
② Recovery period
③ life stage
Rehabilitation in the acute phase
As mentioned above, it is important to start stroke rehabilitation as early as possible.
In the immediate aftermath of the onset, both the patient and his/her family are very upset, and it may not be possible to go through rehabilitation.
After wandering through life and death, you will feel a sense of relief when you finally escape.
"Maybe you should rest for a while."
Isn't there a lot of people who think like that?
Of course, there is also the worry of recurrence.
Stroke is a disease with a high probability of recurrence, but it is said that the risk of recurrence does not change even after rehabilitation.
Relapse can occur independently of rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation during recovery
After several weeks of treatment and rehabilitation in an acute care hospital, you enter a period of convalescence.
Hospitals will also move to hospitals and wards that specialize in rehabilitation, called rehabilitation hospitals and convalescent wards.
Rehabilitation during this period is an important period that determines how much you can recover and what kind of life you will be able to lead.
There are three important rehabilitations during this period.
- stand-up training
- stair climbing training
- Cane walking training
The main content is rehabilitation, which is the basis of daily life.
How hard you work on rehabilitation at this time will change the recovery after that.
Those who have seriously worked on these rehabilitation can see visible resilience.
It is important to set goals with professional staff and work on rehabilitation systematically.
Rehabilitation during life
At this time, he will be retired from the hospital.
It is important to carry out rehabilitation with an image of life at home, such as what kind of life you want to live after discharge and what problems you have.
Two things are important during this period.
- to be able to walk
- Practicing movements with only the unaffected hand
When you leave the hospital, you will need a variety of activities of daily living.
During this period of rehabilitation, it is important to get along well with the paralyzed side.
The paralyzed side recovers smoothly until about 1 month after the onset, and improvement is seen until about 3 months after the onset.
However, after that, it becomes difficult to recover, and complete recovery is difficult.
Therefore, it is important to be conscious of the movement using the healthy side during this period.
Rather than being frustrated by doing unreasonable movements on the paralyzed side, you will feel more positive about being able to move easily using the healthy side, and you will be able to live your life while getting along well with your own body.
If you are worried about symptoms after a stroke, consult a specialist
Rehabilitation after stroke is recommended to proceed as soon as possible.
If rehabilitation can be started in the acute phase (several months after onset), a strong effect can be expected. However, even if rehabilitation is started in the chronic phase, it is said that functional recovery is difficult.
On the other hand, the technology of "regenerative medicine", which uses autologous stem cells to alleviate the burden on the body and treat it, is also progressing, so it is suitable for those who are suffering from post-stroke symptoms, regardless of whether they are in the acute or chronic phase. it's recommended.
If rehabilitation and regenerative medicine can be combined, a significant therapeutic effect can be expected.
Omotesando Helene Clinic specializes in regenerative medicine that does not place a burden on the body.The number of cases has exceeded 8,000 in Japan and overseas, and it has also acquired the "GCR: Global Clinic Rating" certification, which is proof that it has exceeded international standards. We are here.
"I'm curious, but I can't decide if prevention is really necessary now." You may be at risk of wandering life and death without realizing it, so Please feel free to contact us.
・Inquiry form (LINE, We Chat, email support):https://stemcells.jp/contact/
[Regenerative Medicine Outpatient] 03-3400-2277
(If you look at the article and let me know that you want to receive free counseling, I will guide you)
[References]
Yutaka Okaniwa (2020) "Year Note 2021 Internal Medicine/Surgery" Medic Media
Supervision: Dr. Yasushi Tsuda