Active Patient Rehabilitation

The rehabilitation programme consists of all the procedures that help the physical and psychological recovery of
patients who have suffered from various conditions.

Rehabilitation must be started as soon as possible in order to ensure a normal life.

Rehabilitation methods differ from person to person, but they share the same goal, namely:

– achieving a functional status that provides independence and minimal help from other people
– the person's physical and psychological adjustment to the changes caused by the illness
– appropriate integration into family and community.

Motor functions (use of the limbs, walking) recover after a relatively short interval, which is why it is very important that rehabilitation and physical recovery begin as soon as possible. The patient is encouraged to get out of bed and try to take a few steps. In some cases this process may take until the patient regains muscle strength and learns to step again (learns to walk a second time). Initial recovery varies from one patient to another, depending on several factors, such as: the condition they suffered from, the patient's age and associated illnesses. Recovery also requires a great deal of patience and support from healthcare staff, as well as from family and friends.

Initial rehabilitation continues after the patient's discharge or transfer to another medical ward (of
medical rehabilitation).

The rehabilitation programme includes:
– a series of physical exercises
– drug treatment (if necessary)
– psychological counselling
– encouraging social activities (walks, reading, watching television, etc.)
– participation in various educational programmes
– healthy lifestyle
– encouraging activities that can give them the independence needed to lead a normal life.

Rehabilitation is a long process that can become frustrating and can trigger recurrent episodes of depression. In such cases, psychological counselling and specialist drug treatment are recommended. Speech and communication disorders can slow the patient's recovery, so social reintegration may also be harder. It is good for the patient to talk to their family about the frustrations they experience, in order to get through them more easily.

A healthy lifestyle isis composed of:

– Rest (sleep), active rest and stress management (energy management)
– Healthy eating and hydration
– Work and exercise
– Education
– Nature – Natural factors

Rest: 7-9 hours a day – those who sleep less or more shorten their lives.
Rest through sleep; the healthiest sleep is at night between 22:00 – 23:00 and 6:00 – 07:00 in the morning
Rest can also be active. Active rest means doing something that unwinds and relaxes you, doing what you enjoy in life: dancing, swimming, intense enjoyable work, movement, physical exercise or intense sport, reading a book, listening to music, walking with friends in the park (in nature), etc.

Healthy eating: less animal food, protein and animal fat (milk, cheese, meat, eggs and their derivatives) and more plant-based food, as more and more nutritionists recommend .

Hydration: 6-10 glasses of water a day, preferably at least 7-8 glasses (2 litres) of water a day (water and NOT: coffee, sweet or fizzy drinks, commercial juices; preferably still water or even tap water – those who can afford it may fit a carbon-based filter).

Work and movement: work (preferably intense) 8 hours a day. Intense movement that makes you sweat (especially for those with sedentary or office work, etc.) at least 1 hour a day, or housework, physical exercise, sport, even climbing stairs and walking for at least 30-45 minutes a day, is healthy.

Physical activity and weight control. Stress management (energy management): let us take life as it comes, with its good and less good sides, and not let troubles and stress overwhelm us, otherwise the immune system will weaken, and in a person with a weakened immune system serious and even fatal illnesses will inevitably appear: obesity, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, etc.

Let us find ways to relax, to detach ourselves from the daily stress that can bring illness into our lives: by listening to music that relaxes us, or reading a book, going out with friends or pets to green areas in by which we can oxygenate our brain and feel better, move, exercise...Sport makes the immune system more resilient and makes us feel better, more resistant to stress, and helps us prevent and even to cure the diseases triggered by an unhealthy lifestyle.

Education (which also includes self-education and personal development): education is another important factor forming part of a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle means changing our way of living and also our (unhealthy) way of thinking for a healthy, constructive, positive way of living and thinking. Through information, education and self-education, let us give up bad, unhealthy habits and replace them with good, healthy habits for ourselves and those around us.

Key elements in the fight against chronic pain

Chronic pain is widely regarded as a disease in itself. It can be greatly worsened by environmental and psychological factors. Chronic pain persists for a longer period than acute pain and is resistant to most medical treatments. It can, and often does, cause serious problems for the patient. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months or years. Physical effects include muscle tension, limited mobility, lack of energy and changes in appetite. Emotional effects include depression, distress, anxiety and fear of falling ill again. Such fear can prevent a person from returning to their usual work or pastimes.

Common chronic pain complaints include:
• Headache
• Lower back pain
• Cancer-related pain
• Arthritic pain
• Neurogenic pain (pain resulting from nerve damage)
• Psychogenic pain (pain not due to a past illness or injury or any visible sign of internal damage ).

Chronic pain treatment usually involves medicines and therapy. Medicines used for chronic pain include analgesics, antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Different types of medicine help people with different types of pain. Long-acting medicines are usually used for constant pain.

Short-acting medicines treat transient pain.

Some types of therapy help reduce your pain. Physiotherapy (such as stretching) as well as low-impact sports (such as walking, swimming or cycling) can help reduce pain. However, too much sport, or none at all, can harm patients with chronic pain. Occupational therapy teaches you how to pace yourself and how to carry out your usual tasks without harming yourself. Behavioural therapy can reduce your pain through methods (such as meditation or yoga) that help you relax. It can also help lower stress.

Lifestyle changes are an important part of chronic pain treatment. Adequate sleep at night rather than napping during the day should help. So should giving up smoking, since the nicotine in cigarettes can make certain medicines less effective. Smokers have more pain than non-smokers.

Most pain treatments will not eliminate your pain completely. Instead, treatment will reduce the level of pain you have and how often it occurs. Talk to your doctor to find the best way to control the pain.