Author

Delany Faiman

Date of Award

9-2020

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Steven Halcrow

Keywords

Stroke, right middle cerebral artery occlusion, core strength, balance, left side awareness.

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Stroke is the leading cause of disability and fifth leading cause of death among adults in the Unites States. This case study evaluates the effectiveness of inpatient physical therapy following a right middle cerebral artery occlusion and the outcomes throughout the weeks of treatment.

Case Description: The patient was an 80-year-old male who received physical therapy within the hospital for six days before he was referred to a skilled nursing facility. The patient completed four total weeks of skilled physical therapy in the nursing home prior to discharge.

Intervention: The therapy provided to the patient utilized high frequency of sessions consisting of repetitive task training. These activities were completed to increase the patients core strength, balance, left side awareness, and efficiency and safety during transfers and ambulation.

Outcomes: Throughout the four weeks of physical therapy, the patient made significant improvements in his strength, balance, endurance, and left side awareness. He demonstrated increased independence in all functional activities including bed mobility, transfers, and ambulation.

Discussion: This case demonstrates its intended purpose by describing how the patient achieved significant gains during his time in the skilled nursing facility. The patient responded well to treatment, however further investigation into the efficacy of interventions for stroke patients with similar demographics and medical history is necessary.

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