Recovery From Stroke

Making a good recovery from stroke is often dependent on speedy action.

A stroke may be frightening to both the patient and family. On average, a stroke occurs about every 45 seconds. According to the National Stroke Association, stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the third leading cause of death.

The process of recovering from stroke usually includes treatment, spontaneous recovery, rehabilitation, and the return to community living. Because stroke survivors often have complex rehabilitation needs, progress and recovery from stroke are different for each person.

The best weapons for surviving a stroke include:

• Foreknowledge
• Preparedness
• Fast action

A stroke must be treated with the same urgency as a heart attack. Brain tissue starves for oxygen after a stroke, so every minute counts. If treated within the first three hours, the effects of stroke can potentially be minimized and even reversed. So, the focus has to be on quick, accurate diagnosis, early intervention and emergency service for speedy recovery from stroke.

It is wise to identify potential stroke victims and begin early intervention while on the way to the hospital. When a stroke patient arrives at a hospital, the stroke care specialists must act speedily to stabilise vital signs, pinpoint the precise site of blood-flow interruption and, if appropriate, administer highly specialized clot-dissolving drugs – drugs that must be given within the first three hours of stroke onset to reduce brain damage. Because of an immediate action and aggressive intervention, patients have a greater chance of improving their outcome and minimizing the devastating effects of the stroke.

After stroke

After receiving acute stroke care, patients are generally admitted to the intensive care unit under close monitoring and supervision by nurses and physicians for continued observation, treatment and rehabilitation. It is the capability and teamwork, and not just availability of services, which increase the chances of effective recovery from stroke.

The medical staff of the stroke care team includes emergency medicine physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons, interventional radiologists, cardiologists, technicians, nurses and the emergency transport personnel who contribute to the prompt and efficient treatment of patients.

In addition to the diagnostic and therapeutic services offered by the stroke care team, patients should have access to a full spectrum of allied care services from the interdisciplinary team of health professionals. This team should include social workers who help the patient and family adjust to this life-altering event, pastors who offer spiritual support, dietitians for nutritional guidance and rehabilitation specialists who work with the patient from day one to minimize disability and maximize quality of life.

With the tremendous advances in stroke treatment, coupled with the ever-increasing sophistication of rehabilitation techniques, the outlook for recovery from stroke has been quite promising in the recent times. Patients now have access to comprehensive rehab services tailored to each individual with the ultimate goal of returning the patient to as independent a lifestyle as possible. To regain function and achieve an optimal outcome, this may involve working with:

• Physical
• Occupational
• Speech/swallowing therapists

Even after the patient leaves the hospital, quality rehab care should be given to the patients with the stroke care team monitoring the whole arrangement.  Recovery from stroke takes place not just in the hospital, but once back at home for potentially an extended period which may be months or even years.