About Neurological Rehabilitation

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What is neurological rehabilitation?

It is a special program developed to treat people with trauma, diseases or disorders of the nervous system. Neurological rehabilitation aims at reducing symptoms, improving function and the overall health of the patient. In addition, it addresses motor, sensory, cognitive and behavioral function which affects functional performance in patients with central nervous system problems.

Neurological rehabilitation programs are tailored to meet individual needs of the patient. The programs are developed depending on the specific disease or problem. The patient and his family need to be actively involved in the program to ensure its success. The program focuses on all areas of a person’s well-being. It aims at offering a series of progressive therapies from occupational to psychological, retraining on mobility skills and other areas of the patient’s daily routine.

Neurological rehabilitation also provides help with other aspects of the recovery such as dietary and nutrition. The program offers treatment over a period of time depending on the disease, injury or disorder. It helps the patients and their families achieve a normal independent life as much as possible.

• Exercise programs which aim at improving movement, managing spasticity and reduce weakness due to lack of use.
• Speech therapy to assist patients with speaking, writing, reading and swallowing
• Support with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, housekeeping, and cooking
• Management of stress, depression, and anxiety
• Retraining on social and behavioral skills
• Safety measures and home care needs
• Patient and family counseling
• Management of pain

Neurological rehabilitation can be used to help people with injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, structural and circulatory defects and disorders which can cause the nervous system not to function properly. Conditions that may benefit from this kind of program include:

• Infections: This includes polio, encephalitis, brain abscesses and meningitis.
• Vascular disorders: This includes subdural hematoma, transient ischemic attacks, hemorrhagic strokes and ischemic strokes.
• Neuromuscular or structural disorders: This includes cervical spondylosis, brain or spinal cord tumors, Bell palsy, muscular dystrophy, carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, Guillain-barre syndrome and myasthenia gravis.
• Trauma: This includes spinal cord and brain injury.
• Degenerative disorders: Multiple sclerosis, Huntington chorea, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
• Functional disorders: This includes dizziness, headache, seizure disorder and neuralgia.

Patients going through neurological rehabilitation programs can choose to undertake the program on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Various professional are involved in the different stages of the rehabilitation. They include

• Neurologist
• Physiatrist
• Orthopedist
• Other specialty doctors
• Rehabilitation specialists
• Speech/language therapist
• Audiologist
• Social worker
• Registered dietitian
• Physical therapist
• Recreational therapist
• Occupational therapist
• Psychologist
• Vocational counselor

• Patient focus: The strategies are customized to fit the particular need of the specific patient
• Inclusive care plans: The program is designed to include a qualified and dedicated team with various areas of specialization
• Participatory: Cooperation from the patient and their family is key to successful recovery.
  

Learn more about Neurological Rehabilitation

• Neurological rehabilitation on Hopkins Medicine
• Neurological rehabilitation on Wikipedia