Case: Zhu Bo, who lives in Huangpu, Guangzhou, suffered a sudden change a month ago. on August 15, he took a nap as usual, but when he woke up, he found that he could not speak and his right arm and leg had no strength. The family rushed him to the hospital and checked the CT to confirm the diagnosis of cerebral infarction, that is, he had a stroke. Although his symptoms improved, he was still dizzy, could not speak, walked unsteadily and could not take care of himself. On the advice of his doctor, he was transferred to the Hospital of Integrative Medicine of Southern Medical University to receive the next step of rehabilitation treatment. Professor Zhou Guoping, Deputy Director of the Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation of the Hospital, developed a comprehensive treatment plan for him. In addition to the regular neurology treatment, he was given daily Chinese herbal medicines to benefit Qi and blood circulation, resolve blood stasis, and open the channels. After nearly 10 days of rehabilitation, Uncle Zhu’s condition has improved greatly and he is now able to walk on his own and his dizziness has been significantly reduced. Correction of hemiplegia Rehabilitation is the best There are two main types of strokes, one is cerebral hemorrhage and the other is cerebral infarction, which often have a rapid onset and change rapidly. Patients like Zhu Bo account for more than 2/3 of the patients admitted to the hospital’s acupuncture and rehabilitation department. ”Hemiplegia is the most significant sequelae of stroke, and more than 80 percent of stroke patients will have varying degrees of hemiplegia.” Zhou introduced that regardless of the type of acute stroke, it is best for patients to intervene in rehabilitation as early as possible after they are removed from life-threatening conditions. This is because rehabilitation is the best way to correct hemiplegia and restore the patient’s ability to take care of himself. In general, the acute phase is within one month after the stroke, and the recovery phase is within six months thereafter. At least 60 percent of patients who can receive rehabilitation within 3 months after stroke can recover better. Zhou emphasizes that paralysis is not the same as being bedridden and waiting for death! Some stroke patients are discharged from neurology treatment and go straight home, without realizing to do rehabilitation. In fact, rehabilitation for hemiplegic patients is also a process of re-learning, just like a baby, to get back the lost functions again through standardized exercises. ”The first thing about rehabilitation in hospitals is that it is very important to teach patients the correct way to exercise and make sure the posture is correct.” Zhou pointed out that patients can only go home and consolidate themselves if they first learn to rehabilitate in the hospital. Because rehabilitation is a lifelong process, it must be done consistently. Timely rehabilitation multiplies the efficacy of treatment. Clinical evidence shows that timely rehabilitation interventions can significantly improve the efficacy of stroke. So, how early can rehabilitation take place? According to Zhou, ideally, rehabilitation is best done when the patient is still under medical treatment. Patients with cerebral infarction can be rehabilitated after 48 hours as long as they are alert and stable, while those with cerebral hemorrhage can be rehabilitated within 7-14 days. Relevant studies have proven that patients who received early rehabilitation for stroke have a basic cure rate three times higher than those who did not receive early rehabilitation. Two stroke patients admitted to the department this year both achieved quite satisfactory results due to very timely rehabilitation intervention. One was a 43-year-old male with acute brainstem infarction, who was treated on July 2 with vertigo, headache, choking and coughing, and weakness of the left limb. 2 days later, he was given a comprehensive rehabilitation program including acupuncture, massage, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech training, and was basically cured after 12 days. Another older case, a 64-year-old male patient, had an onset of unconsciousness, left-sided limb weakness, inability to sit alone, and urinary incontinence on June 16, and was diagnosed with multiple large cerebral infarcts. After controlling the disease, rehabilitation was done only 38 days, the patient’s muscle strength basically returned to normal, can walk independently, and can control urination and defecation on his own. ”Achieving such ideal results, in addition to the advantages of the combination of Chinese and Western medicine, but also can not be separated from the patient’s cooperation and persistence. However, early rehabilitation is the most crucial.” Zhou Guoping said. If a stroke patient misses the “golden period” of rehabilitation, is there still a need to do rehabilitation? In this regard, Zhou Guoping said, the late intervention in rehabilitation can not say there is no hope, just need a longer time. Huang Bo had a brain hemorrhage 10 months ago and had difficulty moving his left arm and leg. Since then, Huang was hospitalized in various hospitals and his condition was controlled. However, the function of his hands and feet was not restored. It was not until a while ago that he learned about the Acupuncture and Rehabilitation Department of the Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital for the treatment of stroke hemiplegia that he came for treatment. ”No matter what time you can’t give up on rehabilitation, even if there is only a little change each time, it is worth being happy.” Encouraged by Zhou Guoping, Huang Bo started rehabilitation training. Ten days later, Huang felt better mentally, and his original curled fingers “softened a bit” when wrenching, not as stiff as before. ”Although I can’t see significant progress, but I still have confidence.” Huang said, the hospital environment is comfortable, and communication with the doctor is very timely, “the fee is also cheap, do rehabilitation here feel very good.”