Over 6 million people in the US, just like you are stroke survivors and the number grows annually.
The great thing is that due to advances in medicine, more people are alive following a stroke. The not so great news is that many people are sent home from the hospital not completely as they were before. Some common symptoms that many stroke survivors continue to have are speech problems, memory deficits, and weakness on the side of the body opposite of the side of the brain that was damaged.
Traditionally, once someone returns home, therapy typically continues for a few months via visits to outpatient therapy or home health therapy. Then the survivor is discharged with a home exercise program and that’s it! Many of these programs don’t advance the patient past their current level of ability.
This would have been a fine approach 15 years ago when it was once thought that recovery did not occur past six months. Today we know that this is just not true!
Unfortunately, many health care professionals still believe the prior and won’t invest the time in people after the 6 month phase. This is ridiculous! If you are one of these people, don’t give up.
I have been a therapist and researcher in the area of stroke rehabilitation for 15 years and during those fifteen years I have seen almost all of my patients and subjects improve if they are willing to invest the time into:
- Finding the right health care provider
- Working hard on a daily basis on a structured and intensive exercise regime that is prescribed by a physician or therapist who is an expert in stroke
- Following a good diet and getting enough sleep
Over the next several months we will help you with all three of these things.
Don’t give up hope and keep working!
Sincerely,
Ela Lewis, MSPT,NCS
Myomo,Inc
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