According to the WHO, every year there are 15 million people who suffer a stroke worldwide. The common term ‘stroke’ refers to the way stroke symptoms ‘strike’ people down. However, the medical term for a stroke is cerebrovascular accident (CVA). There are actually several types of stroke due to their many causes.
Types Of Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke – the most common, accounting for 87% of all strokes. The cause of this is a blood vessel obstructing the supply of blood to the brain.
- Hemorrhagic Stroke – uncontrolled high blood pressure is the common cause of this. It happens when an already weak blood vessel ruptures.
- Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) – this ‘mini-stroke’ is a warning sign of a temporary disruption of blood, and therefore oxygen, to the brain.
- Cryptogenic Stroke – this diagnosis is given when the cause of the stroke is unknown.
- Brain Stem Stroke – this type of stroke causes a ‘locked-in’ state.
How Stroke Affects Mobility
As we see from the different types of stroke listed above, having a stroke will affect the brain. This, in turn, will affect the ability of a person to communicate and function, as well as, their mobility. Recovering from stroke will depend on the stroke symptoms and how the brain is affected by them. Stroke recovery will include rehabilitation by a multidisciplinary team to help you get back to independence.
1. Recover Mobility After Stroke With Locomotion Therapy
Helping a team to fast-track their patient to recovering mobility, is the Locomotion therapy system by h/p/cosmos. It helps patients to learn how to walk again due to its accessibility and range of support tools. The system features an ergonomic wheelchair ramp and handrails that contain telescopic extensions which can be pulled out to give additional support to a patient.
User experience of locomotion therapy in Bottrop
2. Support Patients During Locomotion Therapy With Unweighting System
The h/p/cosmos Airwalk is a body weight supporting device offering fall protection for the patient. It provides unweighted and/or secured balance training and unweighted and/or secured functional and gait training during neurological rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation after stroke will depend on the stroke symptoms and severity. However, the sooner it begins, the sooner the patient starts to regain as much independence as possible. This is where the Airwalk helps, as it provides a means for enabling the patient to perform low-impact kinetic exercises, such as walking, in an upright functional position.
Examples of Airwalk Application
3. Facilitate Locomotion After Stroke With Robowalk Expander
The h/p/cosmos Robowalk Expander system is designed specifically as a locomotion therapy for neurological patients. It provides all patients with deficits in gait, a time appropriate and individually adapted facilitation of human locomotion. The rubber cable pull system is attached to a patient’s legs via cuffs that then provides motion support or resistance during gait motion.
The safety arch, arm support and un-weighting (body-weight support) help patients feel safe and secure. It gives them the confidence to actively support therapy without the fear of falling. And, with the help and guidance of the therapist, a patient is able to re-learn correct movements again, which is highly motivating.
Stroke patients with neurologic problems often suffer from early fatigue and tire easily. This can create limitations in the success of the therapy. For successful rehabilitation, the patient must repeat the correct movement many times in order to re-learn a gait pattern based on neuroplasticity. For therapists, it is exhausting to guide the patient’s legs in locomotion therapy, which limits the success of the treatment dramatically. However, when you combine the Robowalk system with the Locomotion treadmill that has ergonomic therapist seats, both therapist and patient will find comfort and ease during repetitions. As a result, patients will walk with a better overall gait pattern.
Robowalk Expander Applications
Safety First In Helping Stroke Patients Recover Mobility
The h/p/cosmos medical treadmill solutions have safety at their core, such as the fall-stop system that prevents a fall from occurring. They also meet ISO standards for risk analysis and risk management for medical devices. In fact, these medical devices meet the demands of both patient and therapist. By choosing the the right treadmill system with specially designed aids and accessories, you are providing your patient with a more targeted and effective therapy. In fact, thanks to the build, safety and design, your patients will be able to start their stroke treatment sooner, with a lower burden on their body. As a result, their recovery from stroke is safer, more effective and successful. Our experienced team are able to help you to make the right decision for your needs. Simply contact them here for their advice.
Stroke Symptoms
These vary for each person, but they usually do ‘strike’ people with a sudden onset of symptoms. The NHS acronym, FAST, helps us to remember these initial signs of a stroke:
F – Face. Is the face drooping on one side? Is the person able to smile?
A – Arms. Is the person able to lift their arms and keep them there?
S- Speech. Is their speech slurring or muddled? In fact, are they able to talk?
T – Time. If all the above stroke symptoms apply, it is time to call the emergency services.
