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What is a stroke?

Chances are, in the coming years, you will know someone who is affected by stroke. Stroke is the most common cause of neurological disability and the fourth leading cause of death in Canada. With our aging population, the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada predicts that the incidence of stroke will increase by 32% by the year 2006.

What is a stroke?

A stroke is an injury to the central nervous system, specifically, the brain. A stroke, or what doctors call a cerebrovascular accident, happens when the blood supply to a region of the brain suddenly stops, either because of the blockage of a blood vessel or the rupture of a blood vessel. Stroke caused by a blockage is known as "ischaemic stroke". When it is caused by a rupture, it is called 'Haemorrhagic stroke". When the blood supply to part of the brain is compromised, varying levels of brain tissue damage occurs. Different parts of the brain have different functions, so the result of stroke for each person depends on what part of the brain has been affected. Strokes vary in the functions that they affect and in their severity, depending on where and how much of the brain tissue has been damaged. Some people's stroke symptoms come and go: this "mini-stroke" is known as "transient ischaemic attack" or TIA. TIAs can often be a warning sign of a more permanent stroke.

What are the symptoms of stroke?

  • Sudden weakness, numbness or tingling of the face, arm or leg.
  • Difficulty speaking, understanding speech, or swallowing.
  • Sudden loss of vision, particularly in one eye, or double vision.
  • Sudden severe and unusual headache.
  • Loss of balance, especially if accompanied by any of the above signs .

What should you do?

If you, or someone you know experiences any of the symptoms of stroke, get medical attention right away. There are drugs that reduce the impact of stroke, but the person must get them within a specific time from the beginning of the symptoms. For example, clot busting drugs must be taken within three hours of the onset of symptoms.

How does a stroke affect a persons life?

The effect of stroke will be different for every person. Typically, strokes affect one side of the body, but depending on where the stroke is in the brain, both sides of the body can be affected. People who have stroke can have physical, cognitive (difficulty with thought processes) and emotional symptoms. Physical symptoms can be loss of movement, higher or lower muscle tension than normal, loss of sensation and loss of balance. Cognitive symptoms can be the inability to form words or sentences, difficulty understanding speech, perceptual difficulties, impaired judgement and disorientation. Emotional symptoms can be uncontrollable, unexplained outward displays of crying, anger or laughter which have no connection to the person's actual emotional state. Some people are severely affected by stroke and need help for all their day-to-day activities. Others are less affected and need little or no assistance.

How can Physiotherapy help a stroke survivor?

We used to think that once brain tissue had been damaged, as it is with a stroke, there was very little that could be done. Now we know, both from clinical experience and scientific research, that the brain has the potential to recover. In medical terms, this ability to recover is called "plastic adaptation". This means that the brain tissue around the site of the injury can adapt and take over the functions of the damaged brain tissue. We used to teach stroke survivors how to make up for their loss of function. Now we know that it is possible for people to regain function. Physiotherapists who have a special interest in neurology are trained to help stroke survivors get back as much as possible of their normal function in the affected parts of their bodies. Some of the things that neurophysiotherapists can do include:

  • Helping re-learn movement patterns
  • Facilitating the recovery of balance, sitting, standing and walking
  • Stimulating hand movement and helping regain arm movement
  • Assessing the need for walking aids and mobility devices

Neurophysiotherapists aim to incorporate all recovery into activities that help stroke survivors do the things that are meaningful and important to them. Stroke survivors can still have a quality of life - neurophysiotherapists are there to help.

For more information on stroke visit: www.heartandstroke.ca

Submitted by: Ms. Julie Vaughan-Graham M.C.S.P., M.C.P.A. Physiotherapist I.B.I.T.A. Instructor Clinic Owner, Physio-Logic, Neurological Rehabilitation

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