The time after a stroke can be very scary. There are no absolutes in stroke recovery. About 700,000 people have strokes each year, and about two-thirds of these people will need rehabilitation services to recover.
Immediately after a stroke, medical professionals will work to stabilize your condition. Strokes are the third most common reason for death, making your survival the number one concern of medical staff. Once your condition stabilizes, your medical team will immediately head toward rehabilitation. Strokes are the leading cause of long-term disability, and doctors recognize the importance of helping you regain as much of your lost and damaged abilities as possible.
To help you recover after a stroke, your doctor will assemble a chosen rehabilitation team to directly address your health problems. Some of the health professionals who assist in stroke recovery include physical and occupational therapists, speech therapists, rehabilitation nurses, psychologists, and social workers. These professionals work under the supervision of a doctor to help you recover after a stroke.
One of the main concerns your doctor may have for you after a stroke is the risk of another stroke. 25% of people who have a stroke will experience a second stroke within five years; nearly 15% will experience a second stroke in the same year. For this reason, your doctor must balance the importance of developing an aggressive plan for rehabilitation and working with you to develop a lifestyle that reduces the risk of a second stroke.
The most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of a second stroke is, if you smoke, stop. If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, it's important to keep them under control. Obesity is another risk factor for a second stroke. Even if you're not overweight, a sedentary lifestyle can also increase your risk of a second stroke.
While doing everything possible to reduce the risk of a second stroke, he will also start intensive therapy to heal from the first stroke. After a stroke, it is important to start intensive therapy as soon as possible. If one side of the body is paralyzed from the stroke, passive exercise, where a medical professional moves the affected limbs, can slow muscle atrophy while working to regain use of the affected areas. The longer you can continue physical therapy after a stroke, the more progress you will make. Even after progress slows, the improvement will continue.