The Missing Measurement In Stroke Recovery
Measuring progress towards stroke recovery is essential. Progress can be slow and difficult to see unless it is specifically measured. By not measuring progress, survivors can appear to to plateauing, rather than showing the small progress that they are actually accomplishing. Survivors and caregivers want the best treatment based on benefits compared to risk and cost. Evidence-based practice demands valid outcome measurement to prove cost effectiveness. The Missing Measurement In Stroke Recovery After a stroke, taking measurements often is essential. Often the notion that a survivor has plateaued is less truth and more an artifact of a lack of measurement. Stroke recovery often doesn’t...
Which Recovers First After A Stroke, The Arm or The Leg?
“Which comes back first after a stroke, the arm or the leg?” First-year OT and PT students know the answer to this question: the leg. However, the reasons driving the leg’s speedy recovery are not so simple. Here are some reasons to rethink this “leg comes back first” perspective. The Leg “Comes Back” First Because It Gets A Lot Of Help The leg has two great aids that help it do its primary function immediately. Anyone who’s ever treated stroke survivors knows what they are: AFO’s and assistive devices (canes, walkers, etc.). So here’s your quiz: What are the analogues in the upper extremity?...
How “Good” Stroke Survivors Help All Stroke Survivors
When physical and occupational therapists read stroke-specific clinical research, they are often skeptical. One of the main reasons for therapists being dubious of research is that research often reveals something contrary to his or her clinical observations. Therapists are not scientists. They do not collect data, randomize sample populations, create control groups, or any of the many other things scientists do. The truth is, without the scientific method, humans make terrible scientists. We are naturally biased and have faults in reasoning. Once something is believed, it is difficult to “unbelieve” it, even when our belief is contradicted through science. The bottom line is that...