Beyond Recovery: Impact of Neuro Rehabilitation

by Dr. Loganathan Venkatachalam, Consultant, Aster RV Hospital

Neuro rehabilitation is a medical complex process aimed at recovery of patients of injury or illness after brain and spinal cord structures.

For example a family person caused by a severe spinal injury or brain damage, the patient and their families' abilities, life style, and projects, are suddenly shattered. In order to change this situation, the person and their family must try to establish a "new way of living", both with their changed body and as a changed individual within their wider community.

Thus, neuro rehabilitation works with the skills and attitudes of the disabled person with help of their family and friends. It promotes their skills to work at the highest level of independence possible for them. It also encourages them to rebuild self-esteem and a positive mood. Thus, they can adapt to the new situation and become empowered for successful and committed community reintegration.

Neuro rehabilitation works with utilization of international approved measuring tools to find out the severity of the illness or injury and measurable functional outcome measures.

Neuro rehabilitation is always focusing on a holistic approach, patients centre care, care plans and community focused.

Neuro rehabilitation offers the holistic approach of the evaluation of the illness or injury and plan of realistic goals and aim to reach maximal functionality from unconscious status to consciousness. The possible mechanism behind is the experienced rehabilitation doctor and qualified multi rehabilitation team utilizing their expertise with application evidence based practice. This approach leads to benefits for the patients.

Neuro rehabilitation is used for Stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, Guillain barre syndrome and critical neuropathy.

Neuro rehabilitation is not used for pure slipped discs but it would be used  if neurological issues occur after surgical intervention.

The effectiveness of neuro rehabilitation is variable and different based on factors like age, severity of illness and injury as well the addition of co-morbidities. The recovery is not normal but can be near normal.