A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, affecting everything from your coordination and speech to your vision. They typically occur either due to a blood clot or plaque (ischemic stroke) cutting off blood flow to your brain or a burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke) decreasing blood flow to the brain. More than 85% of strokes are ischemic.

Factors that put you at higher risk for a stroke include high blood pressure, obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise, clotting disorders, high cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and a family history of strokes.

When a stroke happens, getting to the hospital as quickly as possible is your best bet. The earlier you arrive, the less likely you are to have complications or need surgery. If you get to the hospital within 4 hours of when your stroke symptoms start, medication can usually resolve it. If that doesn’t work, you may need surgery to clear the blockage. In the case of hemorrhagic strokes, you will almost always need surgery.

Why Some People Need Rehabilitation

The longer your brain has compromised blood flow, the more brain cells will be damaged. Brain cells depend on blood to receive oxygen and other nutrients, and without that, they die. This is why time truly is of the essence, because it can prevent additional complications.

When your brain is recovering from a stroke, you would think that the brain would just grow new cells to replace the damaged ones, but that isn’t the case. There are some cells that may recover, but the brain can not create new ones. Instead, the undamaged cells pick up the slack, re-routing those lost pathways using the remaining cells. The pathways that your brain once used to control movement, speak, store memories, etc. have been destroyed and new ones need to be created. This is where rehabilitation comes in, where therapists help your brain re-learn how to do things.

The Stages of Recovery

Acute Care

Once you are treated for your stroke, you will likely have to stay at the hospital for 5-7 days for observation. The stroke team at the hospital will help determine what your lasting deficits are and what kind of care you might need to get back to feeling like yourself. The deficits that you have after a stroke depend on where in your brain the stroke happened, and what that area controls.

The most common side effects of a stroke are:

• Weakness or paralysis on one side of the body

• Memory problems

• Difficulty with speech or understanding language

• Vision problems

• Balance or coordination issues

• Difficulty swallowing

• Emotional and personality changes

• Poor bladder control

Your rehabilitation options are inpatient rehabilitation, sub-acute rehabilitation, or discharge to home with rehab appointments or home care. Those with the most deficits benefit the most from inpatient rehabilitation, where you have access to specialists, medication, therapists, and around the clock care. This is also a good option if you have any other medical conditions that might complicate your recovery.

If you have fewer deficits and either have help at home or can manage your activities of daily living on your own, you can be discharged back home. It’s usually recommended that you do some rehabilitation and come in for follow-up appointments to check on your recovery.

Rehabilitation

The goal of any rehabilitation program is for you to be able to complete your activities of daily living effectively so that you can safely return home. Since there is such a wide range of post-stroke deficits, recovery is very individualized and doesn’t have a clear timeline. Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital approaches stroke recovery in phases that are based on milestones.

Phase 1 - Stabilization

When you are admitted to a stroke recovery program, the first thing they will do is to stabilize you so that you can begin treatment. Once you are medically stable, you’ll begin low-intensity therapy, working with different types of specialists for a few hours per day.

During this phase they will confront speech and swallowing difficulties. Rehabilitation hospitals with high quality stroke recovery programs typically have advanced treatments for this. Reunion uses Synchrony Dysphagia Solutions, which combines surface electromyography and patterned electrical stimulation to improve your swallowing mechanics and retrain the related muscles. If a bladder or bowel control issue exists, that is also a priority during this phase, typically using neuromuscular bladder therapy to restore proper function.

Once these basics are covered, they will begin mobilization of any affected limbs to prepare you for physical therapy. This phase focuses mostly on mobility and stretching.

Phase 2 - Therapy

In this phase, we work on motor control and muscle strengthening. If you are struggling to walk or to use one side of your body, physical therapists will work with you to restore function. Balance can be difficult to retrain, but advanced therapies can make this process easier. Reunion uses technologies like the Biodex Balance System and Omni Virtual Reality to provide external input to improve coordination, stability, and to prevent falls after discharge. If deficits persist, therapists will help you learn how to use an ambulation device like a cane, walker, or wheelchair.

After these movement patterns are conquered, you move on to self-care tasks. This usually involves working on fine motor control to do tasks like brushing your teeth or feeding yourself.

Phase 3 - Activities of Daily Living

This is the last stage before you leave the hospital, so we want to make sure you’re ready to go home. We focus on activities of daily living, ensuring that you can safely return home. As you refine the skills you have relearned over the past few weeks, we begin building your personalized transition and discharge plan. We will also be educating you on what you’ll need to do when you’re discharged, and all of this information will be printed and available to you in your discharge packet.

Phase 4 - Return Home With Support

Getting back to normal life after a stroke is a transition, so we set you up with all of the resources you need to be supported physically, emotionally, and medically. We help you find support groups, set up home health services, and schedule outpatient therapy sessions and follow-up appointments so you can keep progressing at home.

Usually by about 6 months post-stroke, you will reach a steady state, potentially with persisting deficits if your stroke was severe. Progress can continue for years if you keep at it, so be sure to continue rehabilitation efforts even after this period.

Choosing the Right Rehabilitation Hospital

The right rehabilitation hospital can make all the difference in stroke recovery. At Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital, we provide physician-directed care, 24/7 specialized nursing, and intensive stroke therapy to help patients regain independence faster.

Our stroke-certified therapists, physicians, and nurses create personalized treatment plans that combine physical, occupational, and speech therapy with advanced rehabilitation technology like Omni Virtual Reality, Biodex Balance System, and weight-bearing treadmill training to accelerate recovery. With 95% of our stroke patients improving their mobility in 2023, our results speak for themselves.

Reunion is proud to be recognized as a Center of Excellence in Stroke Rehabilitation by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality, a designation awarded for our commitment to high-quality, evidence-based stroke care. This distinction ensures patients receive the best possible treatment, leading to better outcomes and a faster return to daily life.

Beyond the hospital stay, we ensure a smooth transition home with comprehensive discharge planning, stroke support groups, and continued care coordination. Choosing Reunion means choosing expert care, innovative therapies, and a clear path to recovery.