Rehabilitation is an extremely important treatment for stroke recovery, which can effectively reduce the disability rate and long-term bed-ridden complications. With regard to the timing of intervention of rehabilitation, evidence-based medicine has confirmed that early rehabilitation of stroke has significant advantages over delayed rehabilitation in promoting the functional recovery of patients, and guidelines from various countries have recommended early rehabilitation. Early rehabilitation can prevent many physiological complications caused by reduced activity, such as respiratory (pneumonia, atelectasis), circulatory (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism), immunosuppression, pressure ulcers, and catabolic/muscle atrophy. Studies have shown that the beneficial effects of early rehabilitation also include increased neuronal plasticity and reduced risk of mood disorders in stroke. The optimal intervention time for early rehabilitation is currently debated by scholars at home and abroad. Most studies suggest that rehabilitation can be initiated 48 to 72 hours after the onset of stroke. Some studies have also shown that rehabilitation within 24 hours after stroke is safe and effective, and does not increase the mortality rate of patients within 3 months. >>The China Acute Ischemic Stroke Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines 2018 states that: Rehabilitation should be started as early as possible when the condition is stable, and patients with ischemic stroke who have mild-to-moderate neurological dysfunction can undergo bedside rehabilitation after 24h after the onset of the stroke, and rehabilitation training during the early bed-leaving period, which includes activities such as sitting, standing, and walking. Bedridden patients should pay attention to the placement of good limbs when their condition permits. 3. Characteristics of early rehabilitation under the stroke center model Stroke center is a stroke treatment center involving a multidisciplinary team, including a rehabilitation team, which is able to perform functional assessment of stroke patients at the first time. Once the condition is stabilized, rehabilitation intervention can be carried out rapidly, which can cross the boundaries between disciplines and start rehabilitation treatment as early as possible to achieve the purpose of early rehabilitation treatment. Early rehabilitation process The early stroke rehabilitation team (including rehabilitation physicians, rehabilitation therapists, rehabilitation nurses and psychological counselors) is stationed in the neurology wards to conduct a comprehensive assessment of each acute stroke inpatient within 24 hours of admission to the department, screen patients with indications, formulate a rehabilitation treatment plan, and initiate early rehabilitation treatment as early as possible. Note: *: Patients with indications for rehabilitation are immediately intervened, rehabilitation physicians formulate treatment plans, and rehabilitators carry out specific operations, choosing individualized treatment plans according to the different conditions of the patients. Through screening, assessment and treatment of patients, the implementation rate of early rehabilitation for stroke patients in our hospital reaches about 90%. For patients who still have dysfunction before discharge, we will give them discharge instructions according to the severity of their conditions, and for those who need to continue rehabilitation, we recommend them to go to our hospital or local rehabilitation centers for further treatment. 5. Precautions for Early Rehabilitation The benefits of early rehabilitation are accompanied by potentially harmful side effects, such as arterial blood pressure fluctuations during exercise, disruption of collateral blood supply in stroke patients, and high risk of secondary cerebral hemorrhage in patients with cerebral ischemia who have been successfully revascularized. Patients need to be thoroughly evaluated before early rehabilitation is undertaken, and early rehabilitation interventions should only be initiated if the patient is stable and has indications for rehabilitation therapy. During the course of rehabilitation, it is necessary to pay close attention to the changes in the patient’s condition (such as color and sweating, etc.), and monitor the changes in vital signs in a timely manner. Some studies have shown that early high-intensity rehabilitation did not increase the percentage of patients functioning well at 3 months. Therefore, early rehabilitation should be based on the patient’s individual condition and the amount of rehabilitation therapy should be moderate.