Rehabilitation after a stroke

About one third of people with cerebral vascular accident then become paralyzed. After 6 months, nearly two-thirds of patients cannot do normal activities themselves. Therefore, once they were not discharged from the hospital, their family members had to think about their rehab training plan.

At the hospital

First week: Assessing the ability to swallow and assist patients with daily life activities.

Week 2 to week 6: Train patients to use one hand to do tasks such as dressing, bathing, going to the toilet. For paralyzed hands, use your shoulders and elbows to help with movements like holding, grasping and pulling. For exercise with follow-up and assistance at distances of about 10 m.

Stay home after hospitalization

1st month to 6th month: Practice walking for about 5 minutes every day; For exercises such as holding cups, holding books, folding clothes, practicing lifting different size and heavy objects. Exercise for about 20 minutes every day until the patient can do this. If the patient is unable to do it himself, hand or foot support tools can be used. Give patients practice with these tools.

In addition to 6 months: Increase walking. If the patient loses his or her voice, listen to and read stories in the newspaper and television, and immediately let the patient rehearse the story. Practice these skills with increasing difficulty, about 20 hours per week.

About 20% of patients have a speech loss after a stroke. The treatment for patients with speech loss should begin early, right in the first 3 months. Voice experts in the early stages of training need to involve family members or volunteers. They are the people who will continue to help patients at a later stage. Time for voice training must be 40-100 hours in the first 3 months.

The normal recovery of the body is only available in patients with moderate lesions. For severely injured patients, recovery is almost absent. For patients with hemiplegia, supportive movements must be practiced, such as moving from a bed to a wheelchair or moving by one-handed skills. Active exercise with a high intensity of 16 hours or more per week has a better recovery effect than patients who only work a few hours a week.

Should practice early hand as soon as the hand can move a little. If the hand cannot be moved within the first 6 weeks, it will be almost impossible to recover. Hands should be practiced 3-6 hours a day for about 3-6 weeks after a stroke. Using electromagnet can help patients increase muscle contraction, support stretching and folding movements. However, if only simple acupuncture, the ability to improve less.

In stroke, paralysis is divided into spasticity and soft paralysis. Most patients are spastic, only a small number of patients have soft paralysis. Soft paralysis patients are often more disabled because of soft hands that are difficult to use. Meanwhile, patients with spasticity can use more hands and feet for movements.

Walking words are desirable of all stroke patients. When you are in hospital, if the patient is able to shrink your legs, you have to practice step by step. It is possible to practice in short sections under crutches or with helpers. In order to recover the ability to walk, even even short paragraphs, training is required. Each patient must have at least 15 minutes per day for walking. Even after 3 months, even after a year, there is a clear improvement. However, if you practice early, you will recover better.

MSc Phạm Như Hùng, Health & Life