Stroke Recovery & Rehabilitation

University Health is home to a multidisciplinary team of rehabilitation specialists focused on your successful recovery after stroke. Our inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services combine advanced technology, expertise and compassion to help you regain as much strength and function as possible after stroke.

Stroke affects everyone differently. Depending on where it occurred in the brain and its intensity, stroke can impact your ability to communicate, move and think. Your rehabilitation plan is based on how stroke affected you and the therapies you need to return to the most independent life possible.

Inpatient Stroke Rehab that Gets You Home

Our comprehensive rehabilitation services mean you can begin working toward your recovery while you’re still in the hospital. Your rehabilitation team works alongside your care team, with a focus on therapies that will build the strength and function you need to go home. Our discharge-to-home rate is 87% above the national average for inpatient rehabilitation facilities.

Outpatient Stroke Rehab for Fullest Recovery Possible

Neuromuscular rehabilitation at one of our outpatient centers helps you expand your abilities as fully as possible. Your multidisciplinary rehabilitation team develops a personalized treatment plan based on how your stroke affected you physically. Rehabilitation focuses on your goals for recovery and the best ways to reach them.

Facial Nerve Therapy

We provide facial nerve therapy for people who have had a stroke or other neurological damage. We can help you retrain the muscles in your face so you can blink, smile and enjoy meals again. Sometimes, after a stroke, you may have trouble closing one of your eyes, which can lead to irritation and dryness. We can help you close your eye again, and give you ways to manage it in the meantime, including eye drops.

Speech and language therapy

Our speech and language therapists can assess and treat any side effect you may experience after a stroke, which may include:

• Aphasia, where you may add unnecessary words to sentences or leave out certain words
• Difficulty swallowing
• Dysarthria, which makes it difficult to speak clearly; you may slur your speech

After a stroke, relearning how to communicate effectively may be your top priority. Our speech and language therapists are ready to help you comfortably and confidently share your ideas and feelings again.

Technology to Expedite Your Recovery

You can count on one-on-one attention from experienced physical therapists in stroke rehabilitation. They combine their expertise and compassion with some of the most advanced technology to help you reach your highest potential:

• Bioness® foot drop system — muscle simulator that helps improve walking and balance
• EKSO® exoskeleton — state-of-the-art bionic suit that helps people stand and walk
• Antigravity treadmill
• Partial body weight support system
• Therasuit Method® — device used to improve range of motion, posture, balance, flexibility and function