Physiotherapists considered “urgent” part of the “stroke units”.

-the Council General of schools for physiotherapists of Spain (CGCFE) advocates to dispose of these units in each health area

Madrid, October of 2011- the vocal of the General Council of schools of physical therapists of Spain (CGCFE), Brandi of the Tower, on the occasion of the world stroke day, has been described as “urgent” create, in each health area, units of Ictus ” functionally integrated into the physiotherapist as one of the relevant professionals of the multidisciplinary team.

Stroke, also called cerebral thrombosis or cerebrovascular disease is a sudden disorder of the blood supply of the brain which can cause a heart attack or a cerebral hemorrhage. It is the second leading cause of death for people aged 60 years and the fifth in people aged 15 to 59 years. Each year, nearly six million people die from a stroke that damages the brain, can affect the functioning of the body and can cause physical and mental disabilities.

Despite the progress, it is estimated that its impact will increase in coming years, given the existing unhealthy life styles nowadays. Factors such as high blood pressure, physical inactivity, smoking and excessive use of alcohol have strokes become an epidemic in the world.

As highlighted by the Member of the Council, it is important to know that a stroke is as serious as a heart attack, so every minute counts ”, so as more time passes without the brain receives blood flow, greater is the damage that a stroke can cause.

Brandi of the Tower has pointed out that the objective of the world stroke day ” is to communicate a unified worldwide message: stroke is preventable catastrophe and treatable, and together we can fight against this growing epidemic ”.

It is very useful, as it has been highlighted, knowing how a stroke starts and what are the symptoms of alarm, such as the loss of strength in the face, arm and/or leg on one side of the body, sudden start, disorders of sensation, feeling of ’numbness or tingling’, sudden vision, partial or total loss, sudden alteration of speech, sudden onset headache, of unusual intensity and without apparent cause, a feeling of intense Vertigo, instability, imbalance or abrupt falls inexplicable if they are accompanied by any of the symptoms described earlier.

Although the brain attacks are a disease of the brain, can affect the entire body. The effects of a stroke can vary from mild to severe, and can include paralysis, problems of rationality, speech, vision problems and motor coordination difficulties.

For this reason, the General Council of physiotherapists schools of Spain considers urgent ” create, in each health area, stroke units ” to functionally integrate the physiotherapist as one of the relevant professionals of the multidisciplinary team. It is estimated, indicated the vowel of the CGCFE, that the admission of patients in these units reduces mortality by 17% and the functional dependency by 25%.

Also explained that the actions carried out during physiotherapy treatment vary from person to person and it depends on how affected both goals with patient, caregiver and patient with the team.

The intervention of the physiotherapist from the early days, is key ” to achieve a correct posture of the patient in bed in different positions to improve muscle tone and increase sensory stimulation, as it has secured Brandi de la Torre.

The mobilization of patients who have suffered a stroke should take place as soon as possible since the establishment of the clinic, initiating the physiotherapist attention during the first week of income. Later, when the patient is stabilized, the physiotherapist focuses his intervention to improve reactions of balance, basic transfers, re-education of the March and the stimulation of daily activities.

Finally, the Member of the Council has stressed that during the treatment of physical therapy, the patient and his family must be involved in the establishment of goals and decision making.

CGCFE

The General Council of physiotherapists schools of Spain (CGCFE) is the body that represents more than 40,000 physiotherapists, in Spain, dealing with the common goal of promoting the health of citizens. In addition, orders the profession, guardianship the interests of physiotherapy, as well as its optimal implementation and universalization.

Physiotherapists are health professionals, as foreseen in existing legislation, accredited with the University degree in physical therapy, taught at 43 universities and holders of knowledge and skills designed to benefit the health of the population. Furthermore, there is a greater number of doctorates and masters, to ensure their high qualification.