Recovery After A Stroke
Recovery after a stroke is a slow process that is difficult to understand and, above all, requires great effort. Strokes consist of the interruption of blood flow in some part of the brain, either due to hemorrhage or an arterial obstruction, and its severity derives from there.
This causes the brain cells in the affected area to die, since they do not receive oxygen or nutrients. Therefore, depending on the region of the stroke, the sequelae to be rehabilitated will be, which can be speech, mobility or mood.
What is a stroke?
A stroke is a medical emergency in which an injury occurs in an area of the brain to which there is no blood supply. In 85% of cases, the cause lies in an obstruction of the arteries that carry oxygenated blood to the neurons. This blockage can be in the neck (in the carotid arteries) or in the brain itself.
Another cause is hemorrhage that prevents blood from reaching all areas, by seeping and getting lost in the brain support tissue. In either situation, neurons only hold out for a few minutes without oxygen and then die.
The brain is the most complex organ in the body. It is responsible for coordinating all the functions we perform, such as movements, language and memory. The connections between neurons are unique and different in each person; hence each one has a way of thinking and a specific personality.
The problem is that when there is a stroke and cells in a specific part of this organ die, one or more different functions can be affected. It is a situation that produces both physical and psychosocial damage to the person.
According to studies, in the United States alone, more than 700,000 people suffer a stroke each year. Of all of them, a third die. However, the other two-thirds survive and require beginning the recovery process to rehabilitate.
Why does recovery happen after a stroke?
Stroke is one of the most important causes of disability today. Recovery after a stroke is intended to improve the quality of life of the affected person and help them to become as independent as possible.
However, this process does not reverse brain damage. These injuries are permanent. In fact, today it is not known exactly what happens at the neuronal level to be able to explain why rehabilitation actually works.
However, there are a number of hypotheses on the subject:
- First, it is believed that when one area has been damaged, recovery after a stroke leads to other areas of the brain taking over the functions that it performed. This is due to neuronal plasticity, a property by which the connections between cells in the nervous system can change to adapt.
- Another reason could be that the cells in that area, instead of dying from lack of blood, are simply damaged, making themselves susceptible to repair. This would explain why, by restoring blood flow, the functions remain intact and have not been forgotten.
How is rehabilitation performed?
Recovery after a stroke usually begins as soon as the person is stabilized. This means that most of the time it starts between 24 to 48 after the episode. This is done because speed has been shown to improve prognosis.
While it is true that this process often begins in the hospital, it is not the only place where it can be done. Rehabilitation can be done in specialized centers, in outpatient clinics and even in the patient’s own home.
For this type of recovery, a multidisciplinary team is needed. Kinesiologists, nurses, therapists and doctors are essential to achieve a complete rehabilitation. However, it always depends on which area has been affected.
Psychologists and speech therapists, like many other professionals, also play an important role. We must not forget that a stroke not only has physiological consequences, but affects the totality of existence and quality of life.
Recovery strategies after a stroke
Recovery after a stroke may include different strategies, depending on what functions you are seeking to rehabilitate. For example, when mobility has been affected, training and exercises are usually carried out to help improve motor skills, with a lot of participation from physiotherapists.
Speech is another of the capacities that tends to be damaged the most. Therapy to improve communication disorders is one of the most used in this process. In the same way, a psychological evaluation of the patient is always carried out, since words are essential for any human being. The fact of not being able to communicate as one would like has psychic consequences as well.
The truth is that recovery from a stroke can take years. It is something that must be done with patience and realism, being aware that it is an improvement in the search, but that there may be functions that are never restored.
It is the duty of the treating team to set goals that are achievable. In the same way, the social network of support of the patient, family and friends, have the task of accompanying without generating false expectations. Rehabilitation techniques have improved a lot in recent decades, but we are still facing sequelae that are difficult to eradicate.
