Last Updated on December 27, 2023 by Flavia Calina
Whether your condition is caused by a stroke, spinal cord injury, concussion, or degenerative nerve disease, neurological rehabilitation can help you return to daily living activities. It’s essential to seek neuro rehab early to maximize benefits.
However, it’s also important to understand that recovery can ebb and flow, and you may need to repeat some aspects of your treatment plan.
After a Diagnosis
The best time to seek out neurological rehabilitation is after diagnosing a condition that impacts your nervous system. If you have a situation like a stroke, brain tumor, or traumatic brain injury (TBI), then it’s important to begin rehabilitation as soon as possible.
The symptoms of a neurological condition can range in severity and complexity. Some may be more obvious, such as weakness on one side of the body or trouble with movement and balance. Other symptoms might be more subtle, such as changes in mood or difficulty with thinking and learning.
Once diagnosed, a physiatrist or neuropsychologist at Colorado Integrated Chiropractic can refer you to a physical and occupational therapist to start treatment. Committing to the therapy sessions you will be referred for is essential because the results can take some time to appear. The more dedicated you are to your recovery, your chances of success are better.
After a Trauma
It’s essential to get started on rehabilitation as soon as possible. If you delay, learning new ways of moving and using your body or coping with loss of cognitive abilities may become more challenging. There is also a risk that another health condition or injury could hamper your recovery.
Many patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) will benefit from early neuro-rehabilitation. Despite this, there are still barriers to accessing comprehensive and long-term care for TBI in Africa, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. These include geographical location, poverty, and other social determinants of health that influence a person’s ability to get treatment.
One example is the “3-hour rule” that limits payer coverage of a comprehensive interdisciplinary TBI rehab program. Research shows that family involvement in inpatient TBI rehab significantly improves community participation and cognitive functioning nine months after discharge compared to those without such involvement. This is particularly true when the patient is receiving a multi-disciplinary rehab program.
After a Surgery
If you’ve had surgery to treat a neurological condition, it might be time for rehabilitation. This type of therapy involves physical, occupational, and speech therapy to help improve, maintain, or recover your ability to function independently.
Neurological rehabilitation can be done in the hospital, in a dedicated brain rehabilitation facility, or with daily sessions at home. It takes more than one professional to create a program for you, and your care team will work together to set goals for your recovery.
You may experience various emotions throughout your rehabilitation journey, from hope to frustration. Your physical and cognitive therapists understand that and are there to support you.
Your recovery may ebb and flow, so sticking with your treatment schedule is essential. It’s also common for symptoms to get worse before they start improving again. This is especially true for headaches, indicating increased pressure inside your skull from the surgery.
After a Chronic Illness
Many people are diagnosed with a chronic condition like Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis, but that doesn’t mean they need to stop attending their physical therapy sessions. It will help if you continue with your therapist’s recommendations for home exercises and rehabilitation even after mastering a particular skill or task.
Neurological rehabilitation is a doctor-supervised program that combines physical, occupational, and, in some cases, speech therapy to address the decline from disease or injury to the nervous system. The primary goal is to help patients recover or improve their abilities and regain independence.
However, it is only sometimes a top priority in healthcare systems and is often left up to the patient to seek services outside their insurance plan. With increasing global trends toward aging and non-communicable diseases, there is an ever-increasing need for rehabilitation to be prioritized at the primary care level. Fortunately, the evidence supports that neurological rehabilitation effectively improves functional outcomes and can help patients overcome challenges they may face daily.
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