BY MICHAEL VINCENT B. CAYANAN
STROKE is the sudden death of some brain cells due to a lack of oxygen when the blood flow to the brain is lost by atherosclerotic blockage or rupture of an artery of the brain. Worldwide, cerebrovascular accidents (stroke) are the second leading cause of death, and the third leading cause of disability. Globally, 70% of strokes and 87% of both stroke-related deaths and disability-adjusted life years occur in low- and middle-income countries. In the Philippines, Stroke remains the leading cause of disability and death in the country. From 2009 to 2019, stroke remains the country’s second leading cause of death and one of the top five leading causes of disability, but the true stroke prevalence in the country is uncertain, but reported estimates to vary between 0.9% (2005) to 2.6% (2017) of the population.
What will happen to the stroke victims if they survive death?
They are required to undergo physical therapy rehabilitation. Physical therapy helps someone who has had a stroke to relearn skills that are suddenly lost when part of the brain is damaged. Meanwhile, it protects the individual from developing new medical problems, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, injury due to a fall, or clot formation in large veins.
When is the stroke victim should start physical therapy rehabilitation after stroke?
Physical therapy typically begins once the condition of the stroke victim has stabilized. Usually, it begins in the acute-care hospital /or during admission from the hospital. it is often within 2 days after or 5 days after the stroke, and it must be followed up once out from the hospital via home health physical therapy or home-based physical therapy rehabilitation. and those who are less severe might choose physical therapy clinic instead of a home-based. The goals of physical therapy and its physical therapist are to promote independent movement or overcome muscle paralysis or muscle weakness of the patient and to help the patient perform activities of daily living like bed mobilization, ambulation, stair climbing, and hand movements such as reaching, grasping, opening, and pinching.
Where can stroke victims get physical therapy services?
Available rehabilitation institutions and practices are Inpatient or during hospital admission, outpatient PT clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and home-based physical therapy. It’s the patient’s choice where he /she wanted to be treated or to undergo physical therapy rehabilitation.
Why is timing being important in stroke rehabilitation?
The first three months after a stroke are the most important for recovery, and it is the time in which patients will see the most improvement, also, it is the time in which the spontaneous neuronal recovery of the brain is at its peak. Spontaneous neuronal recovery is the ability of the brain to recover itself after a stroke attack. It is important to consider the first-mentioned months if stroke victims wanted to gain their optimum recovery. That being said, stroke recovery has a golden period that lasted only 6 months to 1 year, and after that, recovery becomes slow to no progress. Therefore, whatever physical presentation the stroke victims have due to their strokes, it is will be the same for years, or will become worst due to stroke physical complications like spasticity or abnormal muscle stiffness.
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Michael Vincent B. Cayanan is a Physical Therapy Specialist of the Cayanan Physical Therapy Clinic and Optimum Health Physical Rehabilitation Clinics. He is a member, Stroke Society of the Philippines/PN
