Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Do you know how many parts does the human brain have? How is it affected by a stroke? Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, explains how a hemorrhagic or systemic stroke affects each section of the brain. After suffering from a stroke, what types of conditions a patient can get? Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, explains dysphagia, fatigue, foot drop, hemiparesis, and incontinence are the most common conditions they can have. Braces, exercises, stretching, and movement are some options to treat spasticity. Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, explains each one of these different ways we have to treat this condition. Some stroke survivors do not discuss their pain, because they may feel embarrassed or they do not want to show they are not at 100%. Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, talks about what happens during the evaluation with the doctor. The pain you can experience after a stroke is generally categorized in two types: local or central. Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, explains its meaning, and talks about the spasticity type of pain, and what type of pain a patient can develop. Bent elbow, a tight fist, stiff knee, and pointed foot are some types of spasticity. Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, explains those and more types of this illness that happens after a stroke. Dysphagia refers to a difficulty in swallowing. Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, explains its symptoms, such as choking when food gets stuck, and having difficulty starting to swallow. She also talks about the treatment for this condition, which a post-stroke patient can have. There’s a window for recovery after the stroke of 3 to 6 months for recovery. This is the time that physiatrists need to take advantage of therapy or rehab programs.
Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida affirms 50 % of recovery can take place in this months.
The expert also explains after one year treatment, patients can reach a phase which is called “Plateau”, where patients can see improvements. Stroke treatment team is formed by: a doctor trained in brain conditions, a rehabilitation doctor, nurse, dietitian, physical therapist, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, speech pathologist, social worker, case manager and psychologist or psychiatrist.
The team evaluates the patient, determine the deficits that the patient has and designs the plan in the rehab unit, says Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida.
The doctor explains the patient will have an intensive rehabilitation, twice a day, six days a week for a couple of weeks. When a patient has a stroke, the neurologist evaluates the damage and refers him to the physiatrist, who offers the best rehabilitation treatment for the patient, says Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida.
The doctor explains the physiatrist evaluates the patient and the areas of the brain that can be affected by the stroke. After that, the team prepares the rehab program.
The physiatrist works with a team and they analyze the deficit of the patient after a stroke. There are seven areas in the brain when a stroke can happen, describes Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida with a digital imaging.
When a stroke happens in the frontal lobe, patients present communication problems (speech) and motor problems.
If the stroke occurs in the parietal lobe, patients can have problems with numbness in the leg or arm.
When a stroke takes place in the temporal lobe, behavior and emotions can be affected. Age, family history, gender, hormones, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking are the main stroke risk factors.
Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida, affirms prevention and education are very important for patients. She considers patients have to know what the risk factors are and how to take care of them.
Most of the time risk factors depend on changes in lifestyle of patients and the expert considers they have to work on them. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a medical specialty dedicated to care and through disability, after injury or disease, which involves bones, muscles and nervous system, meaning brain and spine, explains Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida.
She also says physiatrists lead a team of other disciplines and health professionals to care for the whole person to treat pain, restore functions and improve their quality of life.
In cases of stroke survivors, physiatrists can offer a huge approach in the treatment of a whole person. Dr. Lucinda Adriana Arenas, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician with Baptist Health South Florida talks about the symptoms of a stroke.
The specialist explains aphasia happens when brain cells die during a stroke. Patients don’t have abilities for expressing themselves verbally.
The rehabilitation program is designed once the patient has been evaluated and the deficits are determined.
The intensity of rehab depends on how severe and big the stroke was, she says.
