Regaining Balance After Stroke with Jenna Tucker, DPT

Have you ever heard the saying knowledge is power? When it comes to stroke, nothing is more true. Many of the risk factors for having a stroke are things you have control over--quitting smoking, a healthy diet, and exercise are just a few. In this episode, Dr. Jenna Tucker, DPT teaches us about regaining physical balance to increase mobility and rebuilding a healthy, balanced lifestyle to help prevent future harm. Recovering from a stroke is a full time job; it has the power to transform your life in very positive ways!Covered in this episode:Acquired brain injury: no direct impact causing traumaAnoxic brain injury: lack of oxygen causes brain injuryStroke: 2 mechanisms that cause strokeHemorrhagic: a bleed from AVM, aneurysm, or other sourceIschemic: a clot that blocks blood flow, most common type, lots of modifiable risk factorsThe line can be blurry as to what gets called a stroke versus not.  Clinical presentation and mechanism of injury are considered when deciding what gets called a strokeTypical presentations are based on which artery is affected.  MCA strokes are the most commonLeft MCA: hemiparesis on the right side of the body (weakness), right sided sensory loss, speech and language deficitsRight MCA: hemiparesis (weakness on the left side), sensory loss, visual spatial deficits, visual impairments, cognitive impairmentsACA: higher order cognitive impairments, problem solving, behavioral challengesPCA: visual deficitsCerebellum: “the little brain,” center for coordination and balance: will see symptoms called ataxia which are impairments in smooth movement There are trends depending on the areas of the brain affected but everyone presents differentlyB.E. F.A.S.T.: Typical symptoms of a stroke.  If you have these, get to the ER immediately!! The faster you get treatment the better the outcomeB: BalanceE: Eyes. change in visionF: Face. facial droop A: Arms.  Arm weanessS: Speech. Slurred speech, difficulty communicating words, not making sense or jumbling, unclear speech T: Time: get to the emergency room immediately, best outcomes come from getting treatment as soon as possible.  If you have a clot, they can give you a “clot busting” medicine but it has to be given within a few hours of the onset of symptoms.  It is important for your doctor to know when the symptoms started.   In the book, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor, she explains her first hand account of how it feels to have a stroke.  This book is a great read!Patients who have had a stroke are at very high risk of having another one.  Stroke survivors need to be educated on the symptoms to watch for so they can get help as soon as possible.  Rehab after stroke“How long will my recovery take?”  “How much better will I get?”There is always room for improvement.  How much? Time and effort will tellRecovery depends on time and effort, every injury and stroke is different.  Get off to a good start with a lot of education on risk factors, stabilizing your general health, and education on