Ischemic stroke: reflexology in complex treatment and rehabilitation of patients

Purpose of study.Stroke is one of the most important medical and social problems, both in the world and in Russia, which is due to high morbidity, mortality, and disability [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. According to WHO, stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world [11]. Over the past 30 years, the incidence has increased by 70 %; prevalence — 85 %; mortality increased by 43 % [12]. Statistical analysis data indicate that stroke affects about 0.5 million people in Russia every year, the rate is 3 per 1000 population [2]. The high level of disability (3.2 per 1000 population) is primarily due to the severity of neurological disorders that are difficult to correct [13]. Data from the National Stroke Registry show that 31 % of stroke patients require assistance for personal care; 20 % cannot move independently; only 8 % of surviving patients can return to their previous work [13]. Schemic stroke accounts for up to 85 % of all types of cerebrovascular accidents [8, 10]. The purpose of the presented scientific review is to acquaint doctors of various specialties with the possibilities of reflexology and justify the need to include this method in complex treatment, preventive and rehabilitation protocols for ischemic stroke to restore functionality and resume the most active social and everyday activities, improving the quality of life of this category of patients [1, 3, 14]. Conclusions: This article discusses an integrated approach to the management of post-stroke patients with the inclusion of reflexology in treatment and rehabilitation protocols along with the necessary pharmaceutical therapy and other rehabilitation methods. Particular attention is paid to the use of reflexology for the prevention of strokes. To solve these problems, an analysis of domestic and foreign medical literature devoted to this issue was carried out.