Strokes and Stroke
Rehabilitation
by Dr. Michael L. Johnson
Strokes affect millions of people every year and can be deadly.
Some occur suddenly; some have pre-stroke warning signs. TIA’s,
or transient ischemic attacks, may or may not happen prior to
a stroke. During a TIA, a blood vessels going to the head
or neck becomes partially occluded, and this decreases the
oxygen available to the brain. During a TIA, a patient usually
experiences symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, double
vision or even a loss of consciousness.
There are two types of strokes. The first is ischemic. Ischemia
occurs when the blood vessel becomes blocked and the brain
doesn’t have enough oxygen to work properly. The blockage
occurs from something occluding the vessel, and then the blood
supply is shut off. Therefore, brain activity will be inhibited
because the fuel supply is not adequate.
The second type of stroke is hemorrhagic. A hemorrhagic stroke
is more severe than an ischemic stroke. With this type of
stroke, the blood vessel actually bursts, causing bleeding
within the skull. More damage occurs with this type of
stroke.
People that have undergone a stroke have very similar
characteristics. Usually, one side of the body does not work as
well at the other side. For example, the right side may appear
stiffer as compared to the other side. This stiffness or
inability to move directly relates to brain function. If the
right side of the body is rigid, this can be traced back to the
left side of the brain. Short or long term memory may be
impaired.
After a stroke, gait is often disturbed, speech is slurred, one
side of the face appears droopy, and one leg is stiff, all of
which are related to deficiency in brain function. Usually, one
side of the brain has been affected. To gain back function of
the areas damaged by the stroke, activities must be performed
that influence those specific areas of the brain. Strokes have
traditionally been with treated with pharmaceuticals, but the
November 1998 issue of “The Journal of Neuroscience” documents
that pharmaceutical-based treatment does not work unless
coupled with behaviorally based physical change.
There are many non-pharmaceutical treatment modalities that are
effective. Examples of these are visual stimulation on one side
of the visual field, auditory stimulation in one ear, olfactory
stimulation through one nostril, eye exercises through one
visual plane, specific rehabilitative exercises firing to the
efficient side, different word games, and different
communication exercises. These modalities target specific areas
within the brain and brainstem to achieve the exact amount of
stimulation needed. All of these treatment protocols are
referenced and scientifically based.
About the Author
Dr. Michael L. Johnson is a Board Certified Chiropractic
Neurologist with over twenty years of experience in private
practice, over 850 hours of neurological studies, and 3800
hours of postgraduate education. His best-selling book "What Do
You Do When the Medications Don't Work? - A Non-Drug Treatment
of Dizziness, Migraine Headaches, Fibromyalgia, and Other
Chronic Conditions" is available wherever books are sold. ©
2005 M. L. Johnson
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