by Richard Johnson Stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain is blocked or cut off; it can also be called a “brain attack”. It is an...
by Richard Johnson
Stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain is blocked or cut off; it can also be called a “brain attack”. It is an emergency condition since blood lacking brain cells are deprived of nutrients and oxygen and begin to die. There are two types of strokes – ischemic (when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked by a blood clot or atherosclerotic plaque) and hemorrhagic (when a weakened blood vessel ruptures). Once a part of brain cells die, the body loses one of its functions the dead cells were responsible for, which leads to paralysis, loss of speech or memory and other serious disorders. Stroke treatment depends on the type of stroke, its cause and the part of the brain affected. Most commonly, strokes are treated with pharmaceutical preparations that generally include drugs for the prevention and removal of blood clots as well as those to reduce the levels of blood cholesterol and lower blood pressure. In certain cases, surgery may be needed to reduce the swelling of the brain (ischemic stroke) or lower the risk of further bleeding (hemorrhagic stroke).
Once the cause that provoked stroke is eliminated, it is time for stroke rehabilitation. The thing is that stroke results in the formation of a pathologic area in the brain with dead nerve cells forming the core of this area. The size and location of this pathologic area determine the degree the body function disturbance. Around this area, there are cells that are temporarily “inactivated” and that should be “re-activated” during rehabilitation process. Some of such cells that have not been previously involved in speech or movement processes are ready to adjust and perform the functions of those that are dead. “Teaching” these cells how to work in new conditions and in doing so eliminating the barriers to normal functioning of certain parts of the brain is the main goal of rehabilitation of stroke survivors. And that goal can be achieved only with the help of special exercises performed in terms of kinesiotherapy, hydrotherapy, etc.
What is water rehabilitation?
Water rehabilitation (or hydrotherapy) is not a new way of helping patients recover from an illness. Historians claim that hydrotherapy has been used for thousands of years in Asia, Europe and Americas to help the human body heal and get stronger. Nowadays, water therapy and exercises are widely used by lots of people.
Exercising in water, which is what really hydrotherapy is, provides many benefits for those who survived a stroke. Safety is at the top of the list of positive effects water rehabilitation has on the body of a stroke survivor - patients are not afraid of falling and that is why they can more willingly perform all necessary exercises and relax when required. Moreover, a fall in water is less likely to cause any injury.
Hydrotherapy is great at restoring mobility of the body. Due to specific properties of water (the principle of buoyancy, its density, temperature and pressure), patients are able to perform certain motor exercises in the pool, which they cannot do when they are on dry land. Exercises with water resistance and dynamic exercises can improve balance, coordination and muscle strength as well. Rehabilitation is performed by increasing the range of movements patients should do while in the pool and maintaining the strength of muscles.
In addition, water rehabilitation helps:
reduce pains and muscle spasms;
stimulate blood circulation;
improve joint function;
strengthen weak muscle groups without the need for weights;
improve cardiovascular fitness;
reduce anxiety and increase self-confidence, etc.
Is water rehabilitation for everyone?
Medical specialists say that hydrotherapy should be considered only once a patient has made a progress with other types of therapy. However, whether this type of therapy is suitable for a stroke survivor depends on a certain factors:
the degree of patient mobility in the lower and upper extremities;
whether the stroke survivor is afraid of water;
whether patient’s cognitive capability is affected by the stroke;
whether the therapeutic pool is accessible.
Doctors say that each patient has to be individually assessed to understand whether he or she is a candidate for hydrotherapy. The transition to water rehabilitation depends on the progress that a patient makes in other therapies.
No comments