Stroke Treatment and Recovery

Stroke Treatments

The best treatment for stroke recovery depends on what type of stroke you’re having. In order to treat ischemic strokes, blood must be restored to the brain quickly. One form of stroke treatment involves emergency IV medication to help break up a blood clot. Intravenous treatment for a stroke needs to be given 4.5 hours after the first symptom in order for it to be effective.

Some doctors also use emergency endovascular treatments to treat strokes found directly in the blocked blood vessel. These treatments include medications delivered directly to the brain or by removing the clot with a stent retriever.

Hemorrhagic stroke treatment is focused on controlling the bleeding and reducing the pressure in the brain caused by the excess fluid. Depending on the severity, doctors use a variety of methods of stroke recovery treatment including:

• Surgery
• Surgical clipping
• Coiling
• Emergency measures, such as a blood transfusion
• Surgical AVM removal 
• Stereotactic radiosurgery - Radiosurgery is a type of non-invasive surgical treatment that uses high-energy radiation to target and destroy abnormal cells or tissue. It is sometimes called stereotactic radiosurgery because it uses specialized equipment to precisely target the radiation to a specific location in the body. Radiosurgery is typically used to treat conditions such as brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), and other abnormalities in the brain and spine. It can also be used to treat certain types of cancer, such as prostate cancer and lung cancer. There are several different types of radiosurgery, including TruBeam, Gamma Knife radiosurgery, proton beam therapy, and Cyberknife radiosurgery. These procedures are typically performed on an outpatient basis, and the patient is able to go home the same day. The benefits of radiosurgery include the fact that it is non-invasive and can be precisely targeted to a specific location in the body, which minimizes the risk of side effects and complications. However, radiosurgery may not be suitable for all patients, and it is important to discuss the potential risks and benefits with a health care provider. 

What Can I Expect After a Stroke?

Most people who suffer a stroke are admitted to the hospital for at least a day. Stroke recovery varies from person to person depending on the type of stroke. During your time in the hospital, you’ll get more insight into what happened. This will include the type of stroke, the amount of damage, where it occurred and the effects of the damage. There may also be additional tests and blood work performed.

Stroke Recovery

Most strokes will cause some sort of change in a person, oftentimes either cognitive or physical. The good news is the brain can heal with the help of rehabilitation therapy programs. These programs will be selected by your doctor depending on your age, overall health, lifestyle, how much the stroke affected you and the availability of family members or caregivers.

Rehabilitation programs allow patients to improve their quality of life and regain independence after stroke treatment. Recovery time from a stroke varies depending on the severity of the stroke and where the stroke happened in the brain. Some may recover quickly while others may take years.

Stroke rehabilitation programs address each individual’s needs. Common rehabilitation therapies include:

• Physical activities, like motor-skill exercises and mobility training
• Cognitive and emotional activities, such as therapy for cognitive or communication disorders
• Technology-assisted activities, including virtual reality or functional electrical stimulation
• Experimental therapies, such as biological therapies, alternative medicine and noninvasive brain stimulation

Banner Brain & Spine is committed to providing the best stroke recovery treatment and building a rehabilitation program to help you get back to normal. Reach out to us with any questions during your stroke treatment or recovery process – we’re here to help.