Strokes are a large and growing problem in the US and across the world today. Some 800,000 people suffer from strokes each year, the majority of which are ischemic, or clot-caused, strokes. Growing at the fastest rate in the developing world today, due in part to the spread of the Western diet of red meat, large sugar intake and high fat or processed foods, strokes are the third leading death worldwide. However, strokes are largely preventable and research is proving that for those people who have suffered a stroke, the brain responds to treatment even after the initial six months when recovery was typically thought to occur.
Strokes occur when blood flow to a part of the brain is blocked by a clot of when blood vessels break and bleeding into the brain tissue occurs. Though not a disease itself, often strokes are brought on as consequences of other diseases such as hypertensive vascular disease (resulting from high blood pressure) and atherosclerosis (cholesterol deposits in arteries). Diseases like this worsen over time, many times over many years, before resulting in stroke.
The good news is that strokes are largely preventable, in fact up to 70% of strokes are preventable, and the measures to prevent strokes are fairly simple. Studies have shown that controlling blood pressure, healthy or improved diet and regular exercise are all keys to stroke prevention. The impact of strokes can range from minor to major damage that can cause paralysis, seizures, imbalance and even death. However, once a person suffers a stroke, the focus moves to treatment and rehabilitation. This is where the brain’s neuroplasticity, or natural ability to rewire itself, comes into play.
While brain tissue damaged by stroke cannot grow back, research has shown that when one part of the brain dies in a stroke, another part learns to take over its function or the function moves to another part of the brain. This is accomplished through repetitive learning, which essentially cause the formation of new pathways in the brain, essential to retraining the brain to recover lost skills. (speech-therapy-on-video.com/brainplasticity.html) This is what makes Chiropractic neurology a perfect fit for stroke rehabilitation patients.
At the core of Chiropractic Neurology, is the brain’s connection to the central nervous system and the rest of the body. By stimulating parts of the body through a variety of therapies and treatments, pathways in the brain are reactivated. From mirror therapy to cognition exercises, the brain-based therapies of Chiropractic Neurology are giving stroke patients improved health and results, many times in situations where other methods have failed.
Research into how the brain responds to treatment after suffering from a stroke continues to show promise and give stroke patients new hope. If you or a loved one has suffered a stroke and would like to find out how to improve your functions, please contact Dr. Marc Ellis and his team at Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center today.