The ABC’s of Stroke: Prevention & Rehabilitation

A stroke, also called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is defined as an interruption in the blood supply to the brain. This neurological insult deprives the brain of oxygen. When an area in the brain is deprived of oxygen, subsequent brain damage occurs to that section of the brain.

The neurological concept of “plasticity” of the brain describes the brain’s ability to recover from such a devastating insult. Plasticity refers to how one area of the brain takes over for the injured area by creating an alternate route for nerve messages to pass through. Similar to how traffic is detoured around a car accident on a highway to maintain a steady flow of traffic, nerve signals the brain as detoured around the cerebrovascular accident to maintain a normal brain function.

This is why aggressive rehabilitation, or relearning, immediately following a neurological insult is so vital to the regaining of function. Occupational, Physical, and Speech therapy immediately following a stroke maximizes recovery of lost function. A true relearning must occur in which the brain’s highways of neuronal synapses are redesigned in order to facilitate transit of information within this major thoroughfare.

Although, some people with a family history of coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, have a genetic predisposition to acquiring a stroke, other factors like, smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle are not hereditary and can be controlled.

Exercise, diet, and a healthy lifestyle can decrease the incidence of a stroke and can also be greatly influential in promoting overall health