This blog post will discuss spasticity and provide information about how spasticity neurological rehabilitation devices can help treat spasticity. Safely and easily moving around is not something that many of us think about on a daily basis. However, for individuals recovering from stroke, these tasks can be extremely difficult. Each year nearly 800,000 Americans suffer strokes. As a result, many of these stroke survivors have balance problems and/or paralysis. According to the National Stroke Association, 40 percent of all stroke survivors suffer serious falls within a year of their stroke. This article will discuss effects of stroke related to mobility as well as provide helpful stroke recovery information.
Spasticity & Paralysis
Paralysis is defined as the inability of a muscle or group of muscles to voluntarily move. When messages from an individual’s brain to his/her muscles don’t work properly due to stroke, a limb can become paralyzed or become weak, a condition referred to as paresis. The term “spasticity” is commonly used by clinicians but meanings often are slightly different. In general, spasticity is muscle overactivity. Spasticity often refers to tight, stiff muscles that make movement, especially of the arms or legs, uncontrollable or difficult. Characteristics of spasticity can include any of the following: a bent elbow, tight fist, stiff knee, pointed foot, or arm pressed against the chest.
There are numerous symptoms or effects of spasticity including:
- Painful muscle spasms
- Stiffness in legs, arms or fingers
- Uncontrollable movement or jerking, called clonus
- Abnormal posture
- Increased muscle “tone”
- Hyper excitable reflexes
Spasticity Treatment
Spasticity treatment commonly involves a mix of prescription drugs and therapies that may involve spasticity neurological rehabilitation devices. This approach commonly achieves the best results possible. It is important to note that all drugs and therapies have potential side effects and risks. If you are considering spasticity treatments, be sure to weigh the side effects and risks against the benefits of this treatment. Consult a physician and about the best treatment options for you and your needs.
For more information about spasticity neurological rehabilitation, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
If you are suffering from spasticity, neurological rehabilitation products can help. Designed with input from top researchers and clinicians, these products have undergone years of development and produced strong clinical evidence. For you, they can create a fun, interactive training environment that keeps your attention focused on the repetitive training tasks – a far cry from traditional physical therapy.
Who can benefit from using neurological rehabilitation devices?
Patients who have suffered stroke and other brain injury can benefit from these devices. A patient with high tone or spasticity can increase their passive range of motion using a spasticity reduction program that stretches and encourages relaxation of tight muscles. Patients with some movement capabilities can improve active range of motion with the motor control and active recruitment programs.
How do these neurological rehabilitation products work?
These devices immerse the patient in a game-like environment. By interacting with the hand therapy and foot therapy games, the patient is encouraged to move their hand or foot to play the game. If the patient is unsuccessful in completing a specific task, assistance is given so that the full range of motion is realized.
Neurological rehabilitation devices provide instructions and assistance. They encourage and challenge the patient to achieve, surpass and increase their goals. They record and report progress during hand therapy and foot therapy. These neurological rehabilitation products will not do the work for you but they will work with you to achieve your goals.
For more information about neurological rehabilitation, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
In part 1 of this blog post we discussed how a human’s ability to define the world we live in as well as our place in the world is what distinguishes our humanity. We also discussed how the specific abilities that a survivor will lose or have affected by stroke depend on the where the stroke occurred and the extent of the resulting brain damage. In this blog post we will discuss how each area of the brain is affected differently by stroke.
Right-Hemisphere Stroke
The right hemisphere of a human brain controls the movement of the left side of an individual’s body. This hemisphere also controls perceptual and analytical tasks, such as judging size, speed, distance, or position and relating how these parts are connected to the whole. A stroke in the right hemisphere of an individual’s brain commonly causes paralysis of the left side of the survivor’s body and negatively affects analytical and perceptual tasks. Stroke treatments should focus on helping regain movement in the left side of body and improving a patient’s ability to complete analytical tasks.
Left-Hemisphere Stroke
The left hemisphere of a human brain controls the movement of the right side of an individual’s body. This hemisphere also controls the language and speech abilities for a majority of people. A stroke in the left-hemisphere commonly causes paralysis of the right side of the body and negatively affects a survivor’s speech and language abilities. Stroke treatments should focus on helping improve movement in the right side of the body and improving an individual’s ability to communicate.
Cerebellar Stroke
The cerebellum controls a majority of human reflexes as well as much of our coordination and balance. A cerebellar stroke can cause abnormal reflexes of the head and torso, dizziness, coordination and balance problems as well as nausea and vomiting. Stroke treatments can help improve reflexes as well as quell other negative effects of cerebellar stroke.
Brain Stem Stroke
Brain stem stroke can be especially devastating. The brain stem is the part of the brain that controls involuntary functions such as breathing rate, heartbeat and blood pressure. The brain stem also controls abilities such as eye movements, speech, hearing and swallowing. Brain stem stroke can cause paralysis in both sides of the human body as well as negatively affect these involuntary functions. Stroke treatments should focus on helping survivors improve movement and improve involuntary functions.
For more information about stroke treatments, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
Have you or a loved one recently suffered a stroke? Are you looking for information about the effects of stroke or information about stroke recovery? Then this blog post is for you. This post will provide information about the effects of various forms of stroke including right-hemisphere stroke, left-hemisphere stroke, cerebellar stroke and brain stem stroke and various forms of rehabilitation.
A human’s ability to define the world we live in as well as our place in the world is what distinguishes our humanity. A brain attack or stroke can alter this capacity and turn a stroke patient’s world into a confusing, intimidating and sometimes even hostile environment. The skills, which are honed through the course of a lifetime, such as intellect, perception, sensation and movement are the very skills that are often compromised by stroke. Individuals who suffer a stroke are sometimes stripped of these most basic methods of interacting with the individuals and the world around them. Stroke recovery or rehab can help survivors regain some of these basic skills and return to a more normal lifestyle.
The specific abilities that a survivor will lose or have affected by stroke depend on the where the stroke occurred and the extent of the resulting brain damage. The human brain is a very complex organ, and each area within the brain is responsible for specific function and ability. The brain is divided into four major areas: the left hemisphere, right hemisphere, the brain stem and the cerebellum. Each of these areas is affected differently by stroke and requires different stroke recovery or rehab after stroke.
For more information about stroke recovery, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
In part 1 of this blog post we provided a brief definition of stroke and discussed what individuals were at the greatest risk for stroke. In this blog post we will discuss controllable and uncontrollable risk factors of stroke and provide an acronym for stroke recognition and reaction time.
There are two major forms of stroke risk factors: controllable and uncontrollable stroke risk factors. Uncontrollable stroke risk factors associated with stroke include age, gender, race, family history, previous stroke or TIA and fibromuscular dysplasia.
Controllable risk factors of stroke commonly fall into one of two categories: medical risk factors of stroke and lifestyle risk factors of stroke. Medical risk factors of stroke can commonly be treated and lifestyle factors of stroke can often be changed. Both can be managed best by consulting a doctor or physician who can advise on how to adopt a healthy lifestyle and can prescribe medication to address medical issues. Controllable medical risk factors associated with stroke include high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, high cholesterol, diabetes, atherosclerosis. Controllable lifestyle factors include tobacco use/smoking, alcohol use and obesity. All increase the risk of stroke.
The National Stroke Association has come up with an easy acronym to remember the many warning signs of stroke. This acronym was created to help individuals diagnose and react to these warning signs. The NSA advises acting FAST and calling 911 immediately. F–Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? If so the individual may be suffering a stroke. A–Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? If so you should call 911 immediately. S–Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange? Consult a doctor if so. T–Time: If you observe any of these signs the faster you can help the stroke victim receive medical attention the better. Contact your local doctor for more information about risk factors of stroke and how to create a plan to reduce your risk for stroke.
For more information about factors that put you at risk for stroke, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
Have you or a loved one recently suffered a stroke? Are you looking for information about risk factors of stroke and how to reduce your risk of stroke? Then this article is for you. This article will provide a brief definition of a stroke, discuss controllable and uncontrollable risk factors of stroke and provide an acronym for stroke recognition and reaction time.
A cerebrovascular accident (CVA), commonly referred to as a stroke, is the rapidly developing loss of brain function(s) due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to a lack blood flow caused by a hemorrhage or by a blockage. As a result of the brain not receiving proper blood supply, the affected area is not able to function, leading to inability to understand or formulate speech, inability to move one side of the body or one or more limbs or an inability to see one part of the visual field.
Individuals of all age, race and gender are susceptible to stroke and share risk of stroke. However, the odds of an individual having a stroke increase if that individual has certain risk factors of stroke, or criteria that commonly cause stroke. According to the National Stroke Association, up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented and the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from suffering a stroke is to understand the risk factors of stroke that add to your personal risk and how to manage them.
For more information about risk of stroke, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
In Part 1 of this blog post we provided tips for managing and preventing recurrent strokes including quitting smoking and managing high blood pressure. In this blog post we will continue to discuss measures for managing and preventing recurrent strokes.
Managing High Cholesterol
Cholesterol and plaque can build up in the arteries blocking normal blood flow to the brain, which increase the risk of heart disease and can cause a stroke.
Keeping Diabetes Under Control
Individuals with diabetes are almost 4 times as likely to suffer a stroke as an individual who does not suffer from diabetes. Individuals with diabetes are at a much greater risk for stroke and must actively monitor their diabetes in order to reduce this risk.
Manage Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial Fibrillation is a type of irregular heartbeat. AF increases an individual’s risk up to 5 times. It is extremely important for individuals with AF to work with their doctors to monitor and control it.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Maintaining a diet low in cholesterol, saturated and trans fats as well as calories helps manage both cholesterol levels in the blood and obesity, which both reduce risk for stroke.
Increasing Physical Activity
A recent study showed that individuals who exercise regularly, five or more times per week, are less likely to suffer a recurrent stroke.
Controlling Alcohol Use
Studies have shown that drinking more than 2 drinks per day can increase stroke up to 50 percent. However, other studies have indicated that an alcoholic drink a day can lower an individual’s risk for stroke.
The most important step for controlling risk for recurrent strokes is consulting a doctor and following their advice. It is important to discuss the risk factors discussed above to determine personal risk and develop a personal plan.
For more information about recurrent strokes, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
Individuals of all age, race and gender are susceptible to stroke. However, the odds of an individual having a stroke or recurrent stroke increase if that individual has certain risk factors for stroke, or criteria that commonly cause stroke. According to the National Stroke Association, up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented and the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from suffering a stroke is to understand the risk factors for stroke that add to your personal risk and how to manage them.
Individuals who have suffered a stroke are at greater risk of suffering a recurrent stroke. The good news for stroke sufferers is that there are numerous steps that can be taken to prevent a recurrent stroke. According to the National Stroke Association, approximately 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year and about 185,000 of those strokes are recurrent strokes. Within 5 years of a first stroke, a survivor’s risk for another stroke can increase more than 40 percent. At least 25 to 35 percent of individuals who have a stroke each year will have another stroke in their lifetime.
This blog post will provide tips for managing and preventing recurrent strokes including quitting smoking, managing high blood pressure, managing cholesterol, keeping diabetes under control, managing atrial fibrillation, eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity and controlling alcohol use.
Quitting Smoking
Smoking doubles the risk of a stroke survivor having a recurrent stroke. Quitting smoking greatly reduces the chances a stroke survivor will suffer a recurrent stroke.
Managing High Blood Pressure
Managing high blood pressure is widely considered to be the most important risk factor for stroke. According to the National Stroke Association, individuals with high blood pressure have a risk of stroke that is more than 4 to 6 times greater than individuals who consistently have an optimal blood pressure reading of 120/80.
For more information about recurrent stroke, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
When Kinetic Muscles, Inc., an innovator of stroke treatment products, set out to expand their revolutionary in-home stroke rehabilitation service, they realized this brand new treatment delivery model called for equally-new marketing and sales concepts.
Kinetic Muscles’ Mentor Home™ stroke teletherapy is representative of emerging healthcare models designed to deliver effective stroke treatment for more patients at lower cost. It has been shown to significantly improve quality of life for stroke survivors and has already seen growing demand through word-of-mouth and traditional marketing methods
Fortunately, Kinetic Muscles had a long relationship with rehabilitation researchers at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. This led to a meeting with Dr. Ashish Sood, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory’s Goizueta Business School. Where better to search for outside-the-box marketing ideas for this new service model than a top business school teaching the latest thinking on marketing and sales techniques.
Professor Sood organized student research projects across three of his marketing classes to study the opportunity before Kinetic Muscles and to make unique recommendations on marketing and sales strategies for their Mentor Home™ teletherapy service.
Some key findings included the fact there is a large population of stroke survivors who suffered stroke 5, 10 or more years ago and were told at that time (contrary to current medical knowledge) that post-stroke recovery of function was not possible, that a significant portion of this survivor population is no longer receiving therapy or regularly in contact with any rehabilitation specialist, and that various direct-to-consumer methods are needed to reach this population to provide education on the ability to rehabilitate function after stroke and to provide information on practical methods such as teletherapy to accomplish this recovery.
For more information about stroke treatment, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
Kinetic Muscles, Inc. an innovator of stroke rehabilitation therapies, and Great Wall Medical Holdings, Ltd (“GWMH”) announced they will collaborate to deploy products based on Kinetic Muscles’ leading neurotherapy technologies to the burgeoning Chinese healthcare market.
As the most populous country, China has the largest number of stroke victims in the world with well over 3 million persons suffering stroke each year. A recent study by Columbia University projects the rate of heart disease and stroke in China will increase by up to 73% by 2030. This enormous and growing issue has made stroke rehabilitation a priority under China’s own healthcare reform initiative.
For more information about stroke rehabilitation, contact Kinetic Muscles, Inc.
|
|
|
