After a Stroke

Rehabilitation to restore function

A stroke can sometimes change the way a person moves and can affect part of the brain that causes muscle weakness, jerky movements or problems with coordination. That’s why it’s important to develop a long-term treatment plan after any stroke, aneurysm or other neurovascular condition that could impact your brain or physical functioning. CHI Memorial’s goal is to get you back to your normal life and the activities you enjoy. 

Every patient treated for stroke at CHI Memorial has access to physical, speech and occupational therapy evaluations to determine appropriate support services. 

  • Physical therapy can help improve strength and regain movement
  • Speech therapy can help restore speech and language deficits 
  • Occupational therapy helps teach skills needed for everyday living 

Stroke rehabilitation may also mean more aggressively managing blood pressure and cholesterol and taking aspirin or other medications. After being released from the hospital, patients are referred to a neurologist and receive follow up care to ensure they have everything needed to fully recover. This may mean an inpatient rehabilitation program, home-based rehab or outpatient rehabilitation therapy. 

CHI Memorial’s goal is to fully support patients along their entire journey from stroke to recovery, both while they’re in the hospital and after they have left – ensuring patients have access to the resources and support to make their transitions as safe and seamless as possible. 

Second stroke prevention

While up to 80% of strokes are preventable, about one in four stroke survivors are at high risk for another stroke if not managed properly. We also know that 20% of people who experience transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) will go on to have a stroke in the next three months, and 40% will have one within one year.  These alarming statistics underscore the importance of proper stroke prevention for people at high stroke risk.  The great news is that with the right medical team on your side, patients can significantly reduce their chance of stroke. 

CHI Memorial’s outpatient stroke team is eager to work with your family to develop the exact long-term treatment plan to best assure your future safety from stroke. Our in-hospital stroke team will coordinate your follow-up care with the outpatient clinic – to understand the nature of your stroke and design a treatment plan to address your stroke risk factors. If appropriate, your coordinated stroke evaluation and treatment may require involvement of other highly trained specialists including cardiology, vascular surgery or others.   

For more information about stroke care at CHI Memorial, call (423) 206-4140. 

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Stroke support group

CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute hosts a monthly support group meeting for stroke survivors and their caregivers on the first Tuesday of each month from 4 - 5 p.m. 

Meetings are held in the CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute's Neurosurgery clinic conference room, 725 Glenwood Drive, Suite E884, Chattanooga, TN 37404. We also offer an option to join via Zoom. 

For more information and to register, please call CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute's Stroke Clinic at (423) 206-4140, option 3, then option 1.

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Smoking cessation

According to the American Stroke Association, smoking makes you twice as likely to die if you have a stroke – and the more you smoke, the greater your risk. Quitting smoking reduces your risk of stroke and a host of other chronic health conditions. And if you’ve already had a stroke, stopping smoking is even more important to reduce your risk of it happening again. In addition to other factors, smoking leads to atherosclerosis, a condition where a person’s arteries become narrow and harden, reducing blood flow and making clots more likely. When a clot inside an artery travels to the brain, it can cause a stroke when critical blood supply is blocked. 

CHI Memorial offers smoking cessation classes to help you stop smoking. The four-week course helps participants learn how to overcome tobacco addiction so they can start enjoying the benefits of better health.  New classes begin monthly. Virtual and in-person sessions are available. Call (423) 495-7778 for more information.