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Nalini Angelina Harripersad

ENC 1102
March 22,2015

Research Dossier: Physical Therapy Treatment Effectiveness amongst Stoke

Patients
Dossier Information

Physical Therapy grasped my interest when I needs for it due to sport

injury. Day after day, I saw more and more people but it was not just for
injuries like me. A lot of the patients were elderly people who unfortunately
had strokes. As a result, some were paralyzed/ damaged physically. While
doing research, I found out so many different things about Physical Therapy
and the ways in which it changed the lives of many stroke patients. Since
Physical Therapy strives to strengthen muscles via respective exercises
based on the parts of the body that were affected, the patient is able to
perform daily activities such as walk, use the bathroom, get a cup from an
above cabinet and much more. Progress may be slow but results prove that
once a patient can be assisted by Physical Therapy, they are able to conduct
these activities after undergoing treatment. Along with Physical Therapy,
many stroke patients go to Occupational Therapy treatment, speech

treatment and Psychological services. All of them will aim for the patient to
be better than they were prior to treatment but some may regain complete
composure while others may be able to do
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activities better for comfort purposes. In worst-case scenarios, patients will

take medications and perhaps be confined and or stay at an in care nursing
home. Physical Therapy is definitely the groundwork. It is proven that once
an individual knows that he/she can help himself/herself, their psychology
being improves. However, if a patient can no longer do simple things such as
walk to the bathroom of hold a cup to drink water they become very
depressed. After this dossier, I plan to further my knowledge on this topic. It
really did interest me how one profession can make the difference in
someones life this much.

Research Map

Research Question: Before solidifying my topic and starting my research, I

asked myself, does Physical Therapy really help a stroke patient regain or
partially regain control in some parts of their body? In other words, is
Physical Therapy an effective treatment for stroke patients? I wanted to find
out why it was effective, the other options and worst case scenarios. In
regards to what is effective and what is not, as I mentioned previously,

Physical Therapy aims to strengthen muscles to enable the patients to

perform day-to-day activities. Everyones success may be different so the
effectiveness is measured against what the patients were not able to do and
what they can do after Physical Therapy.

Field Research: Internet and Library- (Academic Journals, Magazines and

Books)

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Keywords: Physical Therapy, Stroke Patients, Physical Therapy Effectiveness

with regards to Stroke Patients, Recovery options for Stroke Patients.

Types of Research: The type of research that was mainly conducted was
Internet research. This was done using google and one search from the
University of Central Florida Library. I was specific as to where I wanted my
information from, E.g. Books, Magazines or Academic Journals.

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Annotated Bibliography

Diana Rodriguez | Medically reviewed by Christine Wilmsen Craig, MD:

The everyday Health: Physical Therapy After a Stroke.
After a stroke muscles may not remember how to perform actions that were
once simple, like sitting and walking. A stroke patient will need to relearn
these skills with the help of physical therapy. Physical therapy retrains
muscles and reminds them how to work together again
This exert from a book serves to show that physical therapy is more effective
than occupational therapy with concerns to a stroke patient. Physical therapy
teaches the patient how to walk, sit, stand and perform vital day-to-day
activities. Physical therapy is successful because it works on rebuilding
strength in muscles.
Adaptability of human gait: Implications for the control of
locomotion. Patla, Aftab E. (Ed); pp. 387-411; Oxford, England: North-Holland;
1991. xiii, 456 pp.
While occupational therapy concentrates on helping patients learn to feed
themselves, chew and swallow, and get dressed, the main goal of physical
therapy is mobility. A physical therapist wants to teach the stroke patient
how to walk, sit, stand, and get in and out of bed, a chair, and a car all on
their own
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This exert from a Magazine illustrates the different options available for
treating stroke patients. It highlights the use of Physical therapy especially as
being one of the better and more successful treatments When the stroke
affects movement of the body (Muscles etc.)
Physical Therapy March 2005vol. 85 no. 3 238-248: Physical Therapy
Interventions for patients with stroke inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities
The National Stroke Association states that 10 percent of people who have
had a stroke make a full recovery, 25 percent have only minor complications,
and 40 percent end up needing special care for moderate to severe
problems. Of this 40 percent, 38.6 percent have success with physical
therapy. Only 10 percent require long-term care in a nursing home or other
facility
This exert from an Academic Journal shows statistics as to how many stroke
patients need, acquire and show signs of improvement from Physical
Therapy Treatment. The statistics serve as a representation of how many
people found that Physical Therapy was effective. This data was collected
from nine hundred and seventy two stroke patients.

Authored by Deutsch, PT, PhD, and APTA's Section on

Neurology. Reviewed by theMoveForwardPT.com editorial board May 10, 2011

After examining you and evaluating your condition, your physical therapist
will develop an individualized plan to help you achieve the best quality of life
you can. The plan will focus
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on your ability to move, any pain you might have, and ways to prevent
problems that can occur after a stroke based on the Stroke and the areas it
affected

This exert from a Web source shows how a Physical Therapists can help a
stroke patient and what they have to offer. They show what Physical Therapy
treatments are needed and best advised and recommended to get the
patient better.