Deans' stroke musings: Research shows progress is possible after stroke or spinal injury

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Saturday, January 31, 2026

Research shows progress is possible after stroke or spinal injury

WOW, you think progress is what is needed, rather than full recovery! Your schadenfreude is going to be a bitch when you have a stroke and don't recover, because I see NO PROGRESS in solving stroke!

Research shows progress is possible after stroke or spinal injury

New research shows that people with spinal cord injuries or strokes can still make progress long after their initial diagnosis through intensive training programmes.

The findings are based on the INTeRAcT study, conducted by AZ Herentals, KU Leuven, VUB, and To Walk Again, and funded by Belgium’s National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (RIZIV). This study could pave the way for reimbursement of these therapies.

The programme focused on personalised and intensive rehabilitation tailored to improve independence and quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries or strokes.

A spinal cord injury involves damage to the spinal cord, often caused by accidents, leading to paralysis. A stroke can result from either a blood clot (cerebral infarction) or bleeding in the brain. Both conditions have profound, life-altering impacts.

Patients underwent a 90-hour rehabilitation programme spread over three weeks, with five consecutive six-hour training days each week. Activities included physiotherapy, general therapy, cardiovascular and fitness training, and self-management guidance. Each participant also received one-on-one support and an individualised plan to meet their specific goals.

The improvements were not only significant immediately after the treatment but also persisted for at least nine months. A follow-up study is planned to examine the long-term benefits of the therapy.

Marjan Coremans, who coordinated the study, emphasises the transformative impact such programmes can have on patients. “Being able to lift your grandchild—it seems like a small wish but can mean the world for those who can no longer do it,” she said.

The study involved 100 participants, each closely monitored from the start of the programme and assessed regularly over nine months. The researchers believe the approach could achieve goals once thought impossible.