Stroke therapy plays an important role in maintaining the condition of stroke patients to remain good and help prevent further disability. Brain damage due to stroke can spread and become a long-term problem. In order to improve the quality of life for stroke patients, stroke therapy is needed.
Stroke can cause sufferers to experience paralysis or reduced ability to function the body. Although there are some who can recover fully in a short time, but generally stroke sufferers need medical and psychological support in a sufficiently long period of time to restore their bodily functions to be more independent.
Medical Therapy
Stroke therapy can restore the quality of life for stroke patients. Here are some therapies that can be given, including:
Physical therapy
A stroke can weaken the muscles in the body of the sufferer. This makes the body and joints difficult to move. The effect of coordination and body movements is reduced and at the same time it is difficult to carry out physical activities such as walking and standing.
Physical therapy helps strengthen the body's muscles and trains stroke patients to be able to return to activity after experiencing brain damage. Physical therapy or physiotherapy is therapy carried out by specialist physiotherapists and therapists, who will first evaluate the patient's physical problems. If the physical problems suffered are too severe, it can be helped by a tool to support recovery from a patient's body movement disorders.
Speech and language therapy
One result of a stroke is loss of speech or decreased ability. Speech disorders due to stroke can include decreased overall speaking ability, unable to use the right words, or unable to complete sentences.
Stroke can also damage the muscles that control the sufferer's speaking ability. Stroke therapy for this disorder can be done by speech and language therapists, who will train patients to speak clearly and coherently. If the disorder is too severe, then stroke therapy is done is to find ways to communicate other than talking.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is rehabilitation that helps a person regain, develop, and build important skills, related to independence in daily activities. Patients will be trained according to their needs, such as how to button clothes and brush their teeth.
Occupational therapy can be done together with speech and language therapy, to train the cognitive abilities of someone who has a stroke. Cognitive abilities that can be disrupted due to stroke include decreased ability to think, reasoning, inability to make judgments, and memory problems.
Recreational therapy and psychological therapy
Recreational therapy can be given to post-stroke patients to love what they used to do again, such as raising pets, or making handicrafts and art items, depending on their interests.
Psychological therapy or psychotherapy is needed to improve the mental condition of someone who has a stroke. It's just that conditions that are no longer as they were previously prone to growing feelings of depression and emotional disturbances in sufferers. One of the most common forms is withdrawing from social activities and breaking up hope for healing.
Alternative Therapy
In addition to stroke therapy above, some of the following therapies can be used as alternatives for stroke patients. However, always consult with your doctor first because the following steps have not been fully proven to help post-stroke recovery significantly.
Acupuncture
Therapy using special needles inserted into the surface of the skin has been popular in Asia for centuries. Acupuncture therapy is claimed to help reduce pain, paralysis, and muscle problems due to stroke.
Massage
Massage is a very common therapy for stroke sufferers. Massage can help improve mood, reduce blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and make the body and mind more relaxed. In addition, it can also help muscle problems by increasing blood flow to the affected area.
Yoga
Yoga can help improve the quality of life of post-stroke patients through breathing and slow motion. Yoga also helps patients improve the mental focus lost due to stroke. This sport is a wise choice for stroke patients, considering this sport has minimal impact and risk of injury.
Aroma therapy
Aromatherapy is to utilize certain scents to help people become more relaxed and reduce pain. Rosemary, lavender, and peppermint are scents commonly used by those whose health has a problem due to stroke.
Herbal medicine
Some herbal medicines claim to be able to improve blood circulation to the brain while increasing its function. There are also those who claim to be able to avoid someone from a subsequent stroke. But, you should consult your doctor first if you want to use any herb as an alternative stroke treatment.
If done regularly and consistently, stroke therapy will improve the quality of life of the sufferer. Not only undergoing treatment, emotional and social support from the closest person also plays an important role in the series of stroke therapies. Use a professional therapist and consult a doctor for optimal results.