Early Stroke Rehabilitation Crucial for Recovery, Experts Emphasize
According to Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Zure, early rehabilitation is a critical component of stroke recovery, significantly impacting both the quality and speed of regaining lost function. He stresses the importance of initiating rehabilitation as soon as the patient’s medical condition stabilizes, noting that the timeframe varies based on stroke severity and the patient’s overall health.
Delaying rehabilitation can lead to complications such as muscle stiffness, joint restriction, pressure sores, and lung infections. Dr.Zure explained that the brain exhibits its highest capacity for restructuring in the weeks and months following a stroke. “Correct exercises performed during this period enable the brain to relearn lost functions through other regions,” he stated. ”Therefore, early rehabilitation is one of the most important factors that determine the quality and speed of recovery.”
Treatment plans are individualized, utilizing evaluation tools like the Brunnstrom Staging System, Functional Independence Scale (FIM), and functional Ambulation Scale (FAS) to assess recovery levels. Balance tests and scales measuring spasticity are also employed to monitor patient progress according to established standards.
Dr. Zure highlighted that stroke impacts more than just muscle strength, frequently enough affecting speech, swallowing, memory, and mental state. Consequently,successful rehabilitation requires a multidisciplinary team approach.
He also pointed to the meaningful advancements in stroke rehabilitation over the past decade due to technological developments. Robotic walking systems provide a safe environment for repetitive walking practise, enhancing brain learning capacity. Similarly,robotic systems designed for arm and hand function restoration are yielding positive results. Virtual reality applications are also being utilized to increase patient motivation. “We can place the patient in a forest, by the sea or in a fun place,” Dr. Zure explained. “These practices, which make you feel in the environment, support recovery by increasing the number of exercise repetitions.”
Assoc. Dr. Zure emphasized that stroke rehabilitation is a long-term process where patient motivation and strong family support are as vital to success as medical treatment itself.
Note: The original article did not contain facts about a Ministry of Health warning regarding stroke symptoms. This response focuses on the content provided in the text, which centers on the importance of rehabilitation. If you can provide the text relating to the Ministry of Health warning, I can incorporate that information.