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HEALTH
Stroke: The Road to Recovery
at KPJ KL Rehabilitation Centre
A
wise man once said:
‘The groundwork of
all happiness is good
health’. It is a saying
that could not be more
true especially in our
current state of fast-
paced living. Amidst all the chaos, we
tend to forget how much health should
always be our top priority in life because
everything else is meaningless if we are
sick and unhappy.
Life can change just in a blink of an
eye. A stroke, for instance, is a result of
neglected health. Stroke can occur from a
clogged vessel or a bleed. Stroke victims
may lose their ability to speak, read and
move about independently, depending on
which part of the brain is affected. People
with high-blood pressure and increased
cholesterol have a higher chance of suffer-
ing a stroke. The same goes for the elderly
Dr Saini Jefferyof theKPJ Kuala Lumpur RehabilitationCentre talks about stroke and the
rehab treatment offered.
and those who smoke and consume too
much alcohol. Diabetes Mellitus can
also increase the risk of a stroke. Stroke
is not triggered by just one thing but
rather a combination of the several factors
mentioned above.
A conversation with Dr Saini Jeffery
Freddy Abdullah, Rehabilitation Physician
of KPJ Tawakkal Health Centre, Kuala
Lumpur, further revealed everything that
we need to know about one of the world’s
leading causes of disability and death.
”The age factor is something that cannot
be changed but the rest can be controlled
with adjustments in our lifestyles by
watching what we eat and stopping smok-
ing,” says Dr Saini.
Paralysis caused by a stroke usually
occurs in half of the body, either on the
left or right side. The limbs will experience
spasticity as a result of increased muscle
tone, which can get joints contracted in
various positions. Dysphagia is another
possible effect whereby the victim will
have trouble swallowing . A severe case of
stroke may lead to death and permanent
disability.
All is not lost as there is still a glimmer
of hope with a rehabilitation programme.
Since there are no medications to be
taken for stroke victims to get better, a
rehabilitation programme prevents and
improves the abovementioned complica-
tions. “Rehabilitation also helps patients
to overcome their disability through com-
pensatory strategies,” explains Dr Saini.
Rehabilitation should begin immedi-
ately after the patient has been stabilised.
The first step is to mobilise and move the
limbs. Patients will get help turning over
to avoid bed sores as well as sitting up
to start relearning how to balance their
body. The next step would be to try and
stay in a prolonged sitting position and to
eventually feed themselves, wear clothes
and in the most severe cases, learn to
swallow again with the help of speech
therapist.
“For those who are not able to com-
municate, we try to establish some form
Therapy in progress
Dr Saini Jeffery