Rehabilitation after stroke: what it includes, how it is carried out

The task of rehabilitation after stroke is to partially or completely restore the disturbed functions of the nervous system and brain. This will help the patient to return to a full life, as far as possible. Let's consider how rehabilitation after stroke is carried out and what it includes. This will give a general idea of the techniques. However, it is important to remember that the program of health recovery is determined by the attending physician.

What includes rehabilitation after stroke

Rehabilitation after stroke includes the following stages:

1. Primary rehabilitation is carried out by specialists in the intensive care unit or intensive care unit of the hospital for about 3-4 weeks. During this period, vascular pathology is still in the acute phase, but the patient's condition is already stable. A person needs to lie down without getting up. Medical workers try to prevent the formation of bedsores, teach the patient breathing exercises, conduct classes, returning speech functions. The person is given massage and electrical stimulation.
2. The second stage of rehabilitation begins when the patient is able to move, but cannot serve himself independently. In the rehabilitation center, the person undergoes sessions of passive kinesitherapy and physiotherapy. The rehabilitologist helps to eliminate residual impairments of speech and cognitive functions.
3. The third stage of rehabilitation from stroke begins after the person can serve himself, communicate and move. Further health restoration is done at home, while visiting a hospital or rehabilitation center. To the main course of health restoration, labor therapy, exercises for the development of fine motor skills, classes with a speech therapist, with a psychologist are added.

In each specific case, the rehabilitologist selects methods individually for each person. He takes into account the peculiarities of the patient's health, concomitant diseases, his current state, age, abilities and other circumstances. Often specialists are guided by methods that have shown their effectiveness in similar cases.

Some features of rehabilitation after stroke

Often rehabilitators use such additional methods of restoring health and the nervous system of a person:

• Therapeutic physical training, specially designed to restore the central nervous system and the brain. There is a complex of exercises of therapeutic physical training with the use of suspension systems. It is suitable for people lying down.
• Acupuncture includes electropuncture, reflexology for CNS and peripheral nervous system disorders.
• Hyperbaric oxygenation is a procedure designed to increase the oxygen content in the body. It is carried out in a special barocamera.
• Various massage techniques using compressed air: lymphatic drainage massage, pneumomassage.
• Shockwave therapy, which uses low frequencies and acoustic waves. They have a positive effect on the painful areas of the human body.

In addition, rehabilitation includes a balanced diet, increased doses of vitamins and trace elements. A suitable diet and supplements are prescribed by a doctor.