WRITTEN BY CHARLES EHIRIM
Tomorrow, October 29, 2018, the Omega Physiotherapy and Back Pain Care Centre at number 34, Okolo Street, Onitsha will join the World Stroke Organization and other stakeholders to commemorate the World Stroke Day. World Stroke Organization (WSO) is the world’s leading organization in the fight against stroke. The idea of creating a day of awareness on stroke began in the nineties with European stroke initiatives. However, it was incorporated into the World Stroke Proclamation in October 2006.
As at today, WSO has more than 4, 000 individual members and over 60 society members from 85 different countries. The World Stroke Organization is a professional association with the mission to provide access to stroke care and to promote research and teaching that will improve the care of stroke survivors throughout the World. The World Stroke Organization carries out this global fight through public awareness, research, education and rehabilitation. It headquarters is in Geneva and Omega Physiotherapy and Back Pain Care Clinics at number 34 Okolo Street, Onitsha is a corporate member through her Stroke Disability Care initiative.
Suffering a stroke can cause many significant and challenging mental and physical changes; but continuing to work toward recovery is important. Stroke has been and continues to be a widespread disease worldwide, afflicting over 15 million people each year. Almost 6 million die and a further 5 million are left permanently disabled. A new person suffers stroke every six seconds.
The word stroke is a layman’s term for the medical disorder called Cerebro-Vascular Accident (CVA). Other medical names that are frequently used are shock, Apoplexy, Spasm, Seizure, Cerebral Thrombosis and “Brain attack”. But in recent years, the word stroke has come to be more commonly.
Stroke denotes the suddenness of onset and represents one of the worst features the patient has to contend with, namely the devastating shock he suffers when he realizes that in one unexpected moment and without prior warning, he has been denied the functional use of one half of his body. Controlled movement is missing and his leg and arm refuse to obey him.
He becomes depressed, irritable and even aggressive because he is thoroughly frightened and quite helpless to attend to his own needs or cope with the normal demands of daily living. Worse still, he may not be able to speak but he will understand all that is said to him. Stroke is caused either by blood clot, which blocks a blood vessel or when a blood vessel breaks or bursts and the sudden damage it does to the brain cells in the immediate area gives rise to the symptoms known as stroke.
Stroke is much talked about, but so little is known about this disabling monster. For instance, many people will be surprised to learn that not only the old and the middle aged suffer stroke but the young people too. Not many know either that not all cases of stroke lead to paralysis or death and that the surveying stroke victim can be rehabilitated through structured physiotherapy program for the victim to lead a normal life. Many will also be relieved to know that stroke can be prevented. Stroke is common in African but the exact prevalent rate in Nigeria has been sketchy.
However, the risk of stroke increases with age and is higher in men than in women. Stroke is one of the major causes of serious disability in our society today. The removal of stroke victims from the work force and their extended rehabilitation makes the economic impact one of the most devastating in Medicare. Apart from financial drain, there is also emotional strain on both the patient and the family.
According to the World Stroke Organization, one in every six people will have stroke in their life time. In Nigeria a preliminary research in 2011 at the University of Ibadan noted that 49% of stroke victims died within 3 months, 37% within 12 months and the remaining 12% that live end up with severe disability. For centuries, Physiotherapy has continued to play very important role in the rehabilitation of stroke disable victims.
Administering physiotherapy to stroke victims is really labour intensive. It starts from when the patient is admitted in the hospital receiving medical treatment. He may either be conscious or unconscious. Physiotherapy care is needed for a lot of reasons: first to prevent involuntary tightening of muscles joint mobility, improve sensation and many other reasons. This could be done passively, assisted or actively using electro-medical devices or hands on techniques.
Physiotherapy is imperative if the stroke victim does not want to be severely disabled. Those who have survived stroke attack are therefore advised to always attend regular physiotherapy to avoid being severally disabled. In commemoration of the World Stroke Day, the Omega Physiotherapy and Back Pain Care Clinic shall be offering one-day intervention physiotherapy care and educate stroke victims on self help care tomorrow, October 29, 2016 at Omega Physiotherapy and Back Pain Care Clinic, 34 Okolo Street, American Quarters, Onitsha. Stroke victims in need of good rehabilitation are advised to avail themselves of the initiative.

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