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Rehabilitation After Stroke

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After a stroke, life changes completely both for the patients and their families. 

This section is dedicated to stroke survivors , their families and humanity at large .

A stroke can happen to anyone at any time .

Imagine suddenly being unable to move half of your body , you just can’t walk , talk , work , see ,  take yourself to the bathroom etc.

Stroke survivors therefore need  physical , psychological , emotional , spiritual, financial and social support to optimally live.

This is what rehabilitation is all about !

Communication Challenges After Stroke

Talking ( speech production) is done by the brain , there is a dedicated brain part for this , it’s called Broca’s area , it is named after French physician Pierre Paul Broca.

Stroke can damage the speech production part of the brain (Broca’s area) causing difficulty in talking , stammering or complete inability to talk depending on severity of damage.


In meaningful communication talking is not enough , you must understand what your saying , and also understand what your told ( comprehension) , a special brain part for this is called Wernicke’s area , named after German physician Carl Wernicke.

Stroke can damage the comprehension part of the brain (Wernicke’s area) causing difficulty in understanding what one is being told or what they are saying.


Stroke patients have communication issues ( talking and understanding) , reading and writing can be affected too , we must understand that this is due to brain damage , until we understand this , we shall ignorantly abandon many stroke victims thinking they are silly and ungrateful.


Carl Wernicke and Pierre Paul Broca had their share , I need to find the brain part that makes people feel so entitled and ungrateful, will actually name it Kabiito’s area 😅 .

Physical Effects Of  Of Stroke

  1. One sided body paralysis
  2. Inability to move
  3. Blindness
  4. Hearing difficulties ; this is so rare , and mostly seen in stroke patients of advanced age. The hearing difficulties are rather age related.
  5. Loss of sensation on side on the body 
  6. Prolonged unconsciousness ( coma)
  7. Inability to perform activities of daily living like working , going to the bathroom , bathing , dressing up etc.
  8. Swallowing difficulties
  9. Loss of ability to control bowel and bladder ( incontinence)

Emotional Effects Of Stroke

  1. Anger
  2. Depression
  3.  Feelings of irritability
  4. Forgetfulness.
  5. Confusion.
  6. Low self esteem , imagine an adult having to use diapers

Medical Issues  After Stroke

  1. Blood Clots ; Most stroke patients  can not move and may be bedridden , this increases the risk of getting blood clots.
  1. Frequent Infections.
  1. Bed sores.
  1. Challenges with eating or swallowing .

      6. Breathing difficulties.

Sex After Stroke

Sexual pleasure is an indiscribable  source of happiness in life  , but it is sadly ignored in almost all post stroke rehabilitation plans.

Stroke Patients may experience low libido due to stress , depression , anxiety or distorted self image.

Sexual neglect after stroke is a silent cause of emotional conflict , so the medical teams , patient and spouse should have a sincere discussion about the subject.

Stroke patients of child bearing age need family planning packages , for reasons that should be obvious – pregnancy and paralysis (stroke) are a tough call.

Unless a stroke patient takes celibacy vows , descent sex should be part of any sound rehabilitation package.

Financial Effects Of Stroke

Unfortunately most severe stroke patients may never resume work.

Stroke is financially draining ,  and nearly all families of stroke patients have financial distress.

We all need good social support systems and passive income , actually let me leave financial issues alone.

When should stroke rehabilitation begin?

The sooner you begin stroke rehabilitation , the more likely you are to regain lost abilities and skills , stroke is a race against time

It’s common for stroke rehabilitation to start as soon as 24 to 48 hours after stroke, while patient is still hospitalised , and continues for months / years after discharge.

Stroke rehabilitation is a program of different therapies designed to help you re-learn skills lost after a stroke. 

Stroke rehabilitation can help you regain independence and improve your quality of life.

Stroke Rehabilitation Strategies

Depending on the parts of your brain affected by the stroke, rehabilitation can help with ; 

  1. Regaining body  movement  ; Called Physiotherapy , done by an expert called physiotherapist.

2. Improving communication ( Speech And Understanding What One Is Being Told ) ; this is called Speech therapy , experts here are called speech therapist.

3. Regaining activities of daily living ; Called occupational therapy , you guessed right to call these guys occupational therapist.

4. Emotional needs ; Family comes handy , counseling and psychological support is a must.

5. Medical strategies to avoid / minimise blood clots , infections , bed sores , mantain good nutrition and hydration etc

Technological Advancements In Stroke Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is extremely crucial for optimal stroke recovery.

Yes , robots are now used to help stroke patients relearn moving  , as seen in the video below.

The mighty rehabilitation headquarters is home to multiple youtube videos relevant to stroke rehabilitation , renown Dr.Tara Tobias is doing a lot on the subject.

https://www.youtube.com/@rehabhqofficial/search

Now that your finally at the stroke rehabilitation headquarters , a super market of post stroke self help videos , you can do well just watching what is relevant for you or your patient , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1dnz7nRIAc is a must watch  , it provides the much needed complementary insight into the ability of the brain to re-organise after any attack , i don’t want to use the term neuroplasticity.

Expectation From Family And Friends

Effortlessly offer FINANCIAL , EMOTIONAL , SPIRITUAL and PHYSICAL SUPPORT , as much as your faithfully can , tirelessly – I painfuly must add.

I would repeat this humble appeal countless times if I had too .

Am not a rehabilitation expert , so this section nearly drained the stroke vote, this much needed post stroke service is sadly all that is available to 80% of the stroke victims around the world , even those that have their clots removed ( stroke thrombectomy ) will need aggressive rehabilitation.

For sure rehabilitation is not just a few exercises or massage , i believe any team seriously interested in providing gainful stroke rehabilitation should consider a multi-disciplinary approach , anyway to each their own , as longer as you always remember that understanding a stroke patient’s needs is the only way to perform rehabilitation tasks with great aplomb.

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