Rehab Select Blog

More than 700,000 Americans suffer a stroke every year. Strokes can be devastating — physically, cognitively, and emotionally. The process of recovery may be tough, but physical therapy can be helpful for minimizing symptoms and improving quality of life after a stroke.

As the command center of your body, the brain is an intricate and highly durable organ. However, when a stroke happens, it requires targeted and consistent treatment to bounce back.

If you’re a stroke survivor or have a loved one who is, chances are you have a lot of questions about stages of stroke recovery. Since every stroke patient is different, there simply are no easy answers as to how fast or how far recovery will progress, but you should know that there are tips for stroke recovery that can help ensure better outcomes.   

The stroke recovery timeline is unpredictable. Some patients may recover completely within weeks of a stroke; others may take months or even years to fully recover; and still others may experience moderate to severe side effects on a permanent basis.

When someone has a stroke, it is common to think that the biggest ramifications will be physical and/or cognitive. And it is true that patients will have physical and cognitive long term effects of stroke to at least some degree, but one commonoutcomeof stroke is depression. For that reason, stroke rehabilitation must include treatment for depression and treating stroke's cognitive and physical effects.

For patients and their loved ones, the physical effects of stroke – paralysis, weakness, vision loss, and pain, among many other potential problems – are clear. However, the emotional effects of stroke can be much more difficult to recognize, and they can be just as traumatic and limiting as physical problems – even more so in some cases. For that reason, understanding these changes and taking steps to address them is essential to making the most of stroke rehab and recovery. 

When an area of the brain experiences a sudden reduction or loss of blood flow, the affected brain cells are deprived of oxygen and, within seconds, begin to die. This process is known as a stroke. Strokes are both relatively common and extremely serious - the Mayo Clinic categorizes them as a medical emergency requiring urgent treatment.

Stroke is the most frequent cause of long-term disability in the U.S. and the fifth leading cause of death, according to the American Stroke Association.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and millions of Americans suffer from one form or another of this potentially deadly ailment. There are many conditions that can adversely affect someone's heart, ranging from genetic defects some are born with to lifestyle-generated cardiovascular issues, which generally result in narrowed blood vessels leading to chest pain and increased risk of such events as strokes.

Patient education is a key component ofcardiac rehabilitation for heart attack recovery. The training, guidance, counseling, and information you receive during your cardiac rehab program will help you create a more heart-healthy lifestyle, manage your own condition, and feel confident in your ability to take care of yourself. What you learn during cardiac rehab can literally save your life.