Different Parts Of Rehab
Dedication to rehab is an essential part of recovery. It's an ongoing process that can, at times, be difficult and frustrating. Treatment plans are tailored to each patient's specific needs and goals. A multidisciplinary approach involving physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other healthcare professionals is often necessary to provide comprehensive care for individuals with neurological injuries.
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Below, I've included a summary of things I've been doing.
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Assessment and Goal Setting​
Occupational therapists begin by assessing the stroke survivor’s physical and cognitive abilities and emotional well-being.
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Improving Motor Skills and Coordination​
One of the most common effects of a stroke is physical impairment, such as weakness, paralysis, or spasticity (muscle stiffness) on one side of the body.
Promoting Independence in Daily Living Activities​
OT helps stroke survivors relearn how to perform essential daily tasks such as personal care, household tasks, mobility, and transfers.
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Cognitive Rehabilitation
Strokes often affect cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and executive function. Occupational therapists work with patients to help with memory exercises, problem-solving, planning, and task sequencing.
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Adapting the Environment​
Sometimes, stroke survivors may need changes in their living environment to ensure safety and accessibility. OT may help with home modifications and assistive devices.
​Emotional Support​​
Stroke recovery often involves emotional challenges such as depression, anxiety, or frustration due to changes in physical or cognitive abilities. Occupational therapists can provide coping strategies and support social participation:
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Reintegration into Work and Community​
For individuals who wish to return to work or school, OT can assist with workplace modifications, job-specific skill training, and community reintegration.
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Speech Therapy (SLT)
Speech and Language Therapists support people who have a brain injury with communication, as well as eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties that can arise from it. They aim to support recovery after a brain injury. This involves assessing and treating difficulties in speech, language, and communication, as well as social interaction and executive function.
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Communication and Language
They may provide communication strategies or, if appropriate, employ Augmented and Alternative Communication (AAC), which ranges from paper-based communication boards to higher-tech eye gaze devices. A large part of the speech and language therapist's role is also to work with the person's families, friends, and carers to educate them and adapt their communication style to best assist the individual.
Difficulties with Swallowing, Eating and Drinking
After an assessment, an SLT can use this information to help rehab the swallow, as appropriate or help the person employ other strategies.
Oral care training
This is another area in which an SLT provides education and training to reduce the risk of aspiration (food, drink, and saliva going down the wrong way into the lungs) and resulting in chest infections.
Physiotherapy (PT)
Physiotherapy, also known as physical therapy, plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation and management of neurological injuries. It's important to note that physiotherapy for neurological injuries is highly individualised.
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​Improved Mobility and Functionality
Physiotherapists work with patients to improve their mobility, balance, and coordination, which neurological injuries can severely impact. Physiotherapy helps individuals regain independence in their daily activities.
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Pain Management
Neurological injuries can often lead to chronic pain. Physiotherapists can employ manual therapy, modalities (e.g., heat or cold therapy), and therapeutic exercises to alleviate pain and discomfort.
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Muscle Strengthening
Physiotherapy helps strengthen weakened muscles, which is especially important for individuals with conditions like spinal cord injury or stroke, where muscle atrophy can occur.
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Gait Training
Individuals with neurological injuries may have difficulty walking or need to relearn how to walk. Physiotherapists can provide gait training to improve walking patterns and prevent falls.
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​Balance and Coordination
Neurological injuries can affect balance and coordination. Physiotherapy programs often include exercises to enhance these skills and reduce the risk of falls.
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Neuromuscular Reeducation
Physiotherapists use specialised techniques to retrain the nervous system and muscles to work together effectively, facilitating more controlled movements.
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2​Improved Quality of Life
Physiotherapy can enhance the quality of life for individuals with neurological injuries by addressing mobility limitations and improving overall physical function.
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Adaptation and Assistive Devices
Physiotherapists can recommend and train individuals to use assistive devices like wheelchairs, walkers, or braces to help them navigate their environment more effectively.
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Education and Coping Strategies
Physiotherapists educate patients and their families about the specific condition, potential complications, and strategies for managing daily life.
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Emotional Support
Coping with neurological injuries can be emotionally challenging. Physiotherapists often provide emotional support and motivation to help patients stay engaged in their rehabilitation.
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​Long-term Maintenance
Ongoing physiotherapy can help individuals maintain their physical function and manage symptoms of chronic neurological conditions.
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Neurological Music Therapy (NMT)
Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) involves using music to treat cognitive, affective, sensory, language, and motor dysfunctions caused by brain injury. It is a research-guided clinical system driven by advances in neuroscience and the understanding of how music can influence and change non-musical brain and behaviour functions.
Today, Music Therapy is an established psychological clinical therapy delivered by a music therapist. It helps people of all ages whose lives have been affected by injury, illness, or disability by supporting their psychological, emotional, cognitive, physical, communicative, and social needs.
Music therapists do musical activities, but their primary goals are non-musical. Each session is tailored uniquely. Sessions can be one-on-one or in small groups. Sometimes, family, friends, and carers can get involved, too.
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The sessions might include playing different instruments, singing, sharing or listening to music you enjoy, making music and free-play (improvising), movement, writing songs or song stories, and music technology.
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Neuropsychiatry (NP)
Neuropsychiatry can help with understanding and treating the psychological and cognitive consequences that often follow a stroke. Strokes can lead to a variety of neuropsychiatric issues due to the brain damage they cause, and these problems can significantly affect a survivor’s quality of life. Neuropsychiatric symptoms after a stroke may include mood disorders, cognitive impairments, personality changes, and even psychosis. There are some common neuropsychiatric conditions that stroke survivors might experience, along with their causes, symptoms, and treatment approaches:
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Post-Stroke Depression
Post-stroke depression is one of the most common neuropsychiatric complications, affecting about 30-50% of stroke survivors at some point during their recovery.
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Post-Stroke Anxiety
Anxiety disorders occur in up to 20-25% of stroke survivors, often coexisting with depression.
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Emotional Lability (Pseudobulbar Affect)
Emotional lability, or Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA), affects about 10-20% of stroke survivors. It is characterized by uncontrollable episodes of laughing or crying that are disproportionate or inappropriate.
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Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment and Dementia
Cognitive impairment is very common after a stroke, with about 20-40% of stroke survivors experiencing significant deficits. Some may develop vascular dementia, particularly after recurrent strokes.
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Post-Stroke Fatigue
Fatigue affects up to 40-70% of stroke survivors and can be physical, mental, or both. It is often unrelieved by rest and can impact daily functioning.
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Personality Changes and Aggression
Personality changes, including irritability, frustration, and impulsiveness, can occur in stroke survivors. In some cases, individuals may display aggressive or socially inappropriate behaviour.
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Post-Stroke Psychosis
Post-stroke psychosis is rare, affecting a small percentage of stroke survivors, but can include hallucinations or delusions.
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