Adjusting to stroke

Adapting to a stroke is not easy. A patient may have reacted to the situation in different ways. Firstly comes the initial shock: patients who were once independent are now disabled, once well but now ill. As a stroke usually occurs suddenly, the unexpected extremely unpleasant experience come as shock and leads to number of questions: Why me? What is happening? This is a normal reaction. The fear of the unknown goes with these questions as well, as the recovery is not immediate and may not be complete. Patients need help and understanding, and how to plan scientifically and realistically for the future. The reality of stroke is always too cruel to be accepted by patients, but the patient should be encouraged to get in touch with the many mixed feelings involved but be seen as trying to escape from reality.

Anger, stress and anxiety, depression… all are natural and predictable reactions. Patients sometimes have always tendance to go to extremities: becoming non-compliant with treatment, violent or very instable emotionally. There are calls for help, and call for active support through this difficult phase.

Stroke rehabilitation

Stroke rehabilitation is the process by which a stroke survivor works with a team of health care providers with the aim of regaining as much of the function lost after a stroke as possible.

Rehabilitation doesn’t reverse the effects of a stroke. Its goals are to rebuild strength, capability and confidence so a stroke survivor can continue his/her daily activities despite the effects of the stroke.

In a stroke rehabilitation programme, patient will need generally a Physiatrist, a physician who has specialized in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Physiatrists take both the physical impairments and medical conditions of their patients into account and work with other health practitioners to devise rehabilitation plans. The physical and occupational therapists are equally involved who help respectively in physical disabilities and capacity to manage daily life tasks. The programme also includes some other therapies like speech therapy, recreational therapy etc.

With the help of healthcare professionals, a stroke survivor tries to develop

• self-care skills such as feeding, grooming, bathing and dressing
• mobility skills such as transferring, walking or self-propelling a wheelchair
• communication skills in speech and language
• cognitive skills such as memory or problem-solving
• social skills for interacting with other people

The importance rehabilitation after stroke cannot be overemphasized. Studies have shown that rehabilitation is responsible for most of the recovery experienced by patients after a stroke, and that without it, little or no improvement can be accomplished. Stroke rehabilitation provides a targeted and organized plan to re-learn functions lost in the shortest period of time possible.