Understanding Stroke Rehabilitation

Stroke rehabilitation is an important means to help stroke victims and patients regain certain skills that they may have lost as a result of a stroke.

It is the best means to help stroke patients get better as well as a way to help them avoid sinking into depression as a result of their stroke. Stroke rehabilitation aims to help stroke victims try to gain back their independence as well as confidence and be more able to cope up with their condition.

Stroke Rehab Team

There is a team of specialists who make up a stroke rehab team. Their mix of medical specialties aims to help people recover from stroke. Aside from the doctors and nurses who make up the large part of the stroke rehab team, there are also a number of therapists included like:

Physical therapist- works with the stroke victim to help on physical problems concerning balance, movement, and coordination.

Speech/Language Therapist- works with the patient to help regain speech and language skills that may be affected by the stroke. The therapists may also help patients in trying to overcome difficulties in swallowing.

Psychologist or Counselor- works with the patient to try and cope up with the emotional dilemma and psychological complications brought about as a result of a stroke.

Occupational therapist- works with the stroke patient to regain the skills of doing everyday activities. This therapist helps the patient practice eating, dressing up, taking a bath as well as doing other related tasks.

Recreational and Vocational Therapists- although they may or may not be a part of the stroke rehab team, recreational and vocational therapists may also play a big role in helping patients regain a source of normalcy even after the stroke. A recreational therapist can help a patient try to develop and regain the enjoyment of certain activities that the patient once enjoyed before the stroke. A vocational therapist can aid a patient with concerns dealing with finding a job or getting back to work.

Duration

The duration of a stroke rehabilitation program can vary, depending on the degree of damage caused by the stroke as well as the level of development a stroke victim undergoes.

But for most people, stroke rehab may be a lifelong process. Some people may do better after several weeks or months of stroke rehab while other people may take years and years to show considerable improvement.