Neurological Rehabilitation in Nagpur Aims at treating patients who suffer from a nervous system or neurological disease. With specific goals of improving functionality, reducing painful symptoms, and thereby improving the quality of life. The choice of rehabilitation interventions will be based on the regions affected by the neurological disorder.
This is a very specialized clinical discipline of medicine dealing with rehabilitation and neurology. It caters to all the spectrum of ailments and injuries that a body could have in the nervous system, failing treatments given and usually resulting in long-term disability conditions sometimes manifest years later. Importantly, most rehabilitation strategies dealing with neurological disability revolve around the consequences of such diseases rather than on the cause.
Symptoms
Patients with a variety of symptoms resulting from neurological conditions may receive rehabilitation, offered under prescription or referral by a doctor. Symptoms can be:
- Muscle weakness and flaccidity
- Pain
- Inability to walk; has disability in locomotion
- Cannot perform ADLs like eating, dressing, bathing, or toileting
- Inability to swallow
- Speech disorders
- Losses in memory, problems solving, and cognitive capability
- Vision imperfections or eye-hand coordination imperfections
Treatment
While the patient is returned to their own team, the rehabilitation team offers supportive treatment and therapies, which includes an elite team of workers dedicated to each patient’s unique needs. After assessing, the best care plan is a formulated. Rehabilitation teams for neurological disorders often include:
- Physiatrists- doctors specialized in a physical medicine and rehabilitation.
- Neuropsychologists-Affected Cognitive and behavioral problems due to brain injury, stroke, etc. They help the patient cope with the loss and may prescribe cognitive therapy or stress management techniques.
- Physical therapists-They work with patients suffering from aches or loss of strength, motion, balance, or coordination from disease or injury.
- Their goal is to reinstate and maintain the patient’s ability to move and master the physical actions.
- Occupational therapists, who assess patients’ ability to perform such basic daily functions as eating, dressing, toileting, and bathing, using interventions to attain the greatest independence level possible. In addition, if an order from a physician is received, they also conduct vision assessments.
- Speech-language pathologists, who work with patients suffering from speech and cognitive impairments, which occur often after suffering a stroke, brain injury, or nervous system changes. They are also concerned with problems associated with swallowing.
- Therapeutic Recreation Specialists assists patients in participating in leisure activities and develop new interests. The help resources and opportunities to engage in the community are provided to patients while rehabilitating out of inpatient facilities.
Key Objectives of Neurological Rehabilitation:
- Maximizing Functional Recovery: Helping patients regain motor, cognitive, and sensory functions.
- Improving Quality of Life: Enhancing physical, emotional, and social well-being.
- Promoting Independence: Teaching patients skills and strategies for independent living.
- Preventing Secondary Complications: Addressing issues like muscle atrophy, contractures, or pressure sores that can arise from immobility or reduced activity.
Conditions Treated with Neurological Rehabilitation:
Neurological rehabilitation is employed for a wide range of neurological disorders, including:
- Stroke: Rehabilitation helps restore motor function, speech, and cognitive abilities.
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Addresses memory, attention, problem-solving skills, and mobility issues.
- Spinal Cord Injury: Focuses on restoring mobility, bladder/bowel control, and addressing paralysis.
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Manages muscle weakness, coordination issues, and fatigue.
- Parkinson’s Disease: Improves motor control, balance, and mobility, and manages tremors and rigidity.
- Cerebral Palsy: Helps children and adults improve movement, speech, and daily living activities.
- Neurodegenerative Diseases: Provides strategies to manage progressive loss of function in diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
Components of Neurological Rehabilitation:
- Physical Therapy (PT):
- Focuses on restoring movement, strength, balance, and coordination. Physical therapists use exercises, stretching, balance training, and mobility aids to improve patients’ physical capabilities.
- Techniques include gait training, range of motion exercises, and strengthening routines.
- Occupational Therapy (OT):
- Helps patients regain the ability to perform daily tasks (e.g., dressing, eating, bathing). Therapists work on fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive aspects needed for independence.
- Adaptive equipment (e.g., special utensils, grab bars) may be introduced to facilitate independence.
- Speech and Language Therapy (SLT):
- Aimed at improving communication, speech, and language skills. It is essential for patients with conditions that affect speaking, comprehension, reading, or writing, such as aphasia after stroke.
- Therapists may also work on swallowing issues (dysphagia) to ensure safe eating and drinking.
- Cognitive Rehabilitation:
- Designed for individuals with cognitive deficits, such as those recovering from a brain injury or stroke. Cognitive rehabilitation helps improve memory, attention, problem-solving, and executive function skills.
- Activities include memory exercises, puzzle-solving, and attention training.
- Neuropsychology and Counseling:
- Patients may experience psychological or emotional challenges due to their neurological condition. Neuropsychologists and counselors help patients cope with anxiety, depression, and stress.
- Behavioral therapy and counseling can also assist with adjusting to cognitive or physical impairments.
- Speech and Swallowing Therapy:
- Used for patients who have difficulty speaking or swallowing due to neurological issues. Dysarthria (slurred speech) or aphasia (difficulty understanding or producing language) can be improved through targeted speech exercises.
- Swallowing therapy helps prevent complications like choking or aspiration in patients with dysphagia.
- Vocational Therapy:
- Focuses on helping patients regain work-related skills and abilities. This is important for individuals seeking to return to employment after a neurological event like a stroke or traumatic brain injury.
- Job retraining and workplace accommodations may be discussed.
- Assistive Technology and Devices:
- A wide range of devices can be used to aid mobility, communication, and daily living activities. These include wheelchairs, braces, communication devices, and home modifications like ramps or automated door openers.
- Advanced technology like robotic exoskeletons or functional electrical stimulation (FES) can help with walking and movement recovery.
- Hydrotherapy:
- Also known as aquatic therapy, it uses water-based exercises to promote movement and strength without putting stress on joints or muscles. Water provides buoyancy and resistance, making it ideal for patients with mobility issues.
- Respiratory Therapy:
- Some neurological conditions (e.g., ALS, spinal cord injuries) can lead to breathing difficulties. Respiratory therapy includes exercises and devices to improve lung function and support breathing.
What conditions can benefit from neurological rehab?
Different diseases affect the nervous system, which requires neuro rehabilitative treatment. Among them are the following conditions:
Vascular Disorders: To be more specific, these include:
-Ischemic strokes: They are caused by a blood clots.
-Hemorrhagic strokes: These occur due to bleeding in the brain.
-Subdural hematoma: This also falls in the category of brain bleeding.
-TIAs: Transient ischemic attacks, commonly referred to as pre-strokes.
Infections: Diseases that affect the nervous system
-Meningitis
-Encephalitis
-Polio
-Brain abscess
Trauma: Brain injuries and spinal cord injuries both fall in this category.
Somatic Diseases: These include the following: Structural or Neuromuscular Disorders. Examples: Bell’s palsy, cervical spondylosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, brain or spinal cord tumors, peripheral neuropathy, muscular dystrophy, myasthenia gravis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Functional Disorders. These include disorders like headaches, seizure disorders, dizziness, and neuralgia.
At our Neurosys Multispeciality Center, we perform several key procedures including Craniotomy, which is primarily for the excision of brain tumors; V-P Shunt Surgery for treating hydrocephalus; surgeries for epilepsy; and operations targeting brain stem glioma. Beyond these, we offer a range of other neurosurgical services. If you have any questions that are not answere, please contact us through our Contact Us or Book your Appointment.