A personal approach to stroke treatment

Gregory Symko, D.C., is a chiropractor who specializes in supporting men and women with mind problems relevant to stroke. He allows them enhance their hand-eye coordination and balance problems, operating with their arms, legs, or fingers.

Dr. Symko also brings a unique viewpoint to his function: He is a stroke survivor.

Firsthand knowledge

When he was forty decades previous, Dr. Symko experienced a stroke, which he afterwards realized experienced been a series of five mini-strokes.

“I understood that if I could do mind-based mostly remedy for myself, I could support other stroke victims recover.”

– Gregory Symko, D.C.

Dr. Symko’s stroke still left him not able to see, try to eat, or wander. A thing as easy as raindrops or wind on his hand would lead to extreme agony, and he experienced to don gloves to support reduce it.

“It was terrible,” he recalls. “I experienced serious burning in my arm, leg, and facial area.”

His signs turned worse about time. In addition to agony and numbness, he also experienced vertigo, which tends to make you experience like you are spinning. This brought about extreme balance problems. He also could not focus his eyes on anything.

“When you have a stroke, your mind gets puzzled,” he suggests. “Pieces of your mind that offer with your perception of touch can get messed up.” For instance, his still left arm was numb, but he seasoned serious agony in his ideal arm.

Tricky function pays off

For a handful of decades, Dr. Symko could not do anything on his have and experienced to get support from his wife, family members, and health and fitness treatment pros.

But after 3 decades of hard function with bodily therapists and occupational therapists, and on his have, Dr. Symko was in a position to go back to work—just not as a chiropractor. He labored at a pharmaceutical firm and ongoing to consider treatment of himself by consuming well, doing exercises daily, and working with mind-based mostly remedy. He experienced to reteach his mind to focus and get use of his limbs all over again.

“Brain-based mostly remedy is all about training your mind to do new items,” Dr. Symko suggests. “I understood that if I could do mind-based mostly remedy for myself, I could support other stroke victims recover.”

Supporting some others

4 decades after returning to function, Dr. Symko felt potent ample to reopen his chiropractic organization in Concord, Massachusetts.

Now 61, he suggests that he treats sufferers from a different viewpoint.

“A stroke improvements you,” he suggests. “It place my life on pause for seven decades, but now I’m healthier than at any time.” He eats healthier food items and understands the impression that exercise has on his mind.

Pushing tougher

Although Dr. Symko at times has vision problems at night time and issues walking owing to balance complications, he suggests he will not get discouraged.

“I watch these problems as a message to thrust even tougher to remain healthful,” he suggests.

Dr. Symko advises people who have experienced a stroke or who treatment for stroke victims to be client and not give up.

“Take in well, get loads of sleep, and exercise regularly to maintain your mind active,” he suggests. “Strokes usually are not the finish of the globe. You have to function at restoration all the time.”