Stroke survivors often have impairments and disabilities. The object of this division is to lighten these deficits, to strengthen remaining functions, and ultimately to help patients reestablish their daily and social lives.

This division consists of three sections; the Sections of Physical Thereby, of Occupational Therapy and of Speech Therapy. We are aiming at team approaching in early stages of diseases in close cooperation with the Cerebrovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Department of Cerebrovascular Surgery, and other related sections in NCVC. We have nine staff members in this division; a director, 4 physical therapists (PT), an occupational therapist (OT), and 3 speech therapists (ST). Over 80% of patients treated in our division are suffered from stroke, and the majority of them are in the acute stage.

Physical therapy is provided mainly to patients with hemiplegia and those with gait disturbance due to bed-rest. Patients will benefit from proper positioning and range-of-motion exercise with early physical therapy in intensive care units. After patient's illness becomes stable, the therapy is performed in the training room to reestablish physical activities including sitting, standing, and simple and applied walking.

The aim of occupational therapy is to accelerate functional recovery of skilled finger movements and to reestablish activities of daily living such as eating, writing, and cooking.

In the Section of Speech Therapy, patients undergo examinations and training of various language disabilities; aphasia and dysarthria. Aphasia is the disorders of listening, speaking, reading and writing caused by injuries of the speech areas in the brain. Dysarthria is the disorder of articulation due to a motor disturbance of the lips, tongue, etc. Since the disturbance of communication involves many peoples surrounding patients, including family members, relatives, and friends, we provide supports and guidance for overvcoming the problem to them.

Because of the limited admission periods here in NCVC, some patients are transferred to other hospital for long-term rehabilitation. It is our basic policy, however, to direct our efforts to make patients return directly to their home and jobs as quickly as possible.