February is Heart and Stroke Month!

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The FAST Acronym

February brings us images of groundhogs and heart-shaped candies and chocolates for Valentine’s Day. It has also been designated as Heart and Stroke month and is an excellent time to raise awareness about the importance of cardiovascular health, and the potential functional changes after a stroke. Many are familiar with the acronym FAST (Face – is it drooping; Arms – can you raise both; Speech – is it slurred or jumbled; Time to call 911 right away). This acronym helps identify specific signs and strategies to allow for fast action in the event of an acute onset of stroke symptoms and emphasizes the importance of timely intervention.

Different Symptoms

But what happens after a stroke or mini-stroke (Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA), or if signs and symptoms are different than those listed above? Individuals who have experienced these medical emergencies might have a variety of symptoms, impairments, and functional changes. Commonly, stroke is associated with one-sided weakness (hemiplegia), changes to walking and mobility, and slurred speech. However, rehabilitation professionals including Occupational Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists are trained to assess a wide variety of skills including physical skills (changes to the ability to plan, use, and coordinate muscles for speech, or to reach, grasp and manipulate functional objects), cognitive or thinking skills (memory, attention, planning, organization), perceptual skills (ability to identify right and left, to understand one’s position in relation to one’s environment), and language skills (the ability to understand or express oneself verbally or in writing).

Rehabilitation

Deficits or impairments after stroke can range from mild to severe and can have profound impacts on an individual’s ability to engage in the things they want or need to do every day. Sometimes individuals with moderate or severe impairments will be offered a short course of inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation, or a combination of both. However, functional limitations may outlast access to these rehabilitation programs. We now know that the brain can continue to change, heal, and recover for much longer than initially thought, and recovery can be aided by regular therapy by a clinician skilled in the treatment of neurological conditions.

Additional Support

If you or a loved one are experiencing functional challenges with moving, thinking or communicating after a stroke or TIA, please reach out to our Occupational Therapist and/or Speech-Language Pathologist for an initial assessment and treatment plan.