What is a stroke, and how is it caused?
Stroke, also known as a CVA (Cerebrovascular Accident), is an extremely serious condition.
It usually occurs
– either because an area of the brain becomes ischemic, that is, the blood flow decreases (reducing oxygen and nutrients) below the level necessary for normal function (ischemic stroke ),
-or because there is damage due to bleeding ( hemorrhagic stroke ).
A few minutes in these conditions, insufficient oxygenation and nutrition of neurons, are enough for the brain to suffer severe and irreversible damage. Strokes are the most common, serious neurological injury after traumatic brain injury.
Their frequency in Greece is over 250 episodes per 100,000 people per year. This means that 25,000-30,000 new cases occur annually.
What are the early symptoms of a stroke?
The early symptoms that warn of an impending stroke are:
- Difficulty understanding what others say, or difficulty speaking (dysphasia).
• Numbness (numbness) and/or weakness in the face and upper and lower extremities, occurring on one side of the body.
• Blurred vision, or loss of vision, usually only in one eye.
• Dizziness, vertigo, unsteadiness while walking, falls due to loss of consciousness.
Once a stroke is established and the neurological picture has stabilized, ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes result in:
• Partial or complete loss of limb mobility.
• Disorders of consciousness level, organization of thought, speech, memory, and ability to recognize and organize actions.
• Disorders of emotion, with symptoms of severe anxiety, sadness, or depression and difficulty adapting.
• Disorganization of personal and professional life.
The progression of the condition itself is characterized by a gradual improvement of neurological symptoms, though often not to a satisfactory degree. This is due to the ability of healthy cells to re-specialize so as to replace the functions performed by the brain cells damaged by the injury.
Are there complications from not receiving prompt rehabilitation therapy?
After acute treatment, where there a residual neurological problems, delay in rehabilitation of problems can cause, on the one hand, persistance of the problem, and on the other hand, secondary phenomena – complications, which may even endanger the patient’s life (respiratory infections, venous thrombosis, bedsores, contractures, deep depression, etc.).
The key to limiting the many adverse effects and complications of stroke lies in a well-planned and effective Rehabilitation Program.
What are the treatment programs for stroke?
At ANAPLASI, we provide patients suffering from Stroke with comprehensive rehabilitation programs, which are customized according to the individual patient’s needs and abilities, to include: physiotherapy, special kinesiotherapy in the therapeutic pool, occupational therapy – self-care, speech therapy, psychological support, neuropsychological evaluation, and neurocognitive therapy.
The therapeutic treatment with nTMS applies to certain patients with motor impairments after a stroke.
Before the patient returns home, their living conditions are assessed, and modifications are advised to assist them in their daily routine.
The rehabilitation program for a stroke patient can also be implemented on an outpatient basis or with home rehabilitation treatment.
What is the goal of therapeutic programs?
The goal of therapeutic programs is to improve the physical condition and reintegrate the stroke patient into their personal, family, social, and professional life.
