Rehabilitation for Neurological Disorders

What conditions may benefit from neurological rehabilitation?

• vascular disorders - stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage and hematoma, and extradural hemorrhage

• infections - meningitis, encephalitis, polio, and epidural abscess

• structural, trauma, or neuromuscular disorders - brain, head, or spinal cord injury, 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 - headache, seizure disorder, dizziness, and neuralgia

• degenerative disorders - Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's chorea, and Alzheimer's disease

The neurological rehabilitation team:

Neurological rehabilitation programs can be conducted while a person is a hospital inpatient, or on an outpatient basis. The neurological rehabilitation team revolves around the patient and family. The team helps set short- and long-term treatment goals for recovery and is made up of many skilled professionals, including the following:

• neurologist/neurosurgeon
• orthopaedist/orthopaedic surgeon
• physiatrist
• internist
• rehabilitation nurse
• dietitian
• physical therapist
• occupational therapist
• speech therapist/language therapist
• psychologist/psychiatrist
• recreational therapist
• audiologist
• chaplain
• vocational therapist

The neurological rehabilitation program:

The goals of a neurological rehabilitation program include helping the individual to return to the highest level of function and independence, and improving the overall quality of life for that individual - physically, emotionally, and socially. A typical neurological rehabilitation program helps to accomplish and/or may include the following:

• assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as eating, dressing, bathing, using the toilet, handwriting, cooking, and basic housekeeping

• speech therapy (to help patients who are having trouble speaking, expressing their thoughts, or swallowing; to improve speech patterns, enunciation, and oral communication, in general)

• counseling (to deal with anxiety and depression)

• bladder and bowel retraining

• activities to improve control and muscle balance in the trunk, pelvis, and shoulder girdle

• an exercise program (to improve function, safety, and efficiency of movement; to prevent or postpone weakness caused by lack of use; to manage spasticity and pain; to maintain range of motion; to develop the maximum potential of muscle, bone, and respiration)

• social skills retraining

• gait and balance retraining

• nutritional counseling

• involvement in community support groups

• activities to improve cognitive impairments, such as difficulties with concentration, attention, memory, and poor judgment

• education regarding the disease and disease process

• goal setting (short- and long-term) involving the individual and family members

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