Recovery from stroke: rehabilitation

Most of the neurological and functional recovery following stroke occurs during the first 3-6 months, although some patients show prolonged and unexpected levels of recovery. Research shows that the determination of outcome is multifactorial and includes demographics and psychosocial as well as medical factors. New information on how the brain recovers from injury has given us insights into which therapy approaches theoretically might be beneficial. In some cases recovery may be facilitated by the interaction of appropriate therapies and pharmacological interventions. Comprehensive rehabilitation programmes and integrated acute care rehabilitation stroke units appear to produce improved functional recovery over the standard of care. The reasons are unclear, but may include coordination and standardization of care as well as the early start of rehabilitation. Future research should continue to enhance the mechanisms of recovery from stroke and the approaches to facilitating the recovery process.