Strokes are rare in people under 55, however, they do happen.What’s worse, strokes in young adults are on the rise and reasons for this trend may be contributed to the rise in risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.While strokes often start as something just slightly “off,” the results can be devastating. Twenty-four-year-old Alex Navas, of Jackson, is living proof that even the young can experience this lifechanging medical emergency.
While away at college in West Virginia, Navas, who was diagnosed with diabetes the previous year, experienced slurred speech, numbness on her right side and severe leg weakness — she was having a stroke from a blood clot that had traveled to her brain. She was taken to a local trauma center where it was determined that the blood clot ultimately stemmed from a congenital heart defect and she would therefore undergo open-heart surgery.After weeks of recovering from surgery and several months of disappointing rehabilitation, Navas returned home to New Jersey where she entered into the stroke rehabilitation program at The Neuroscience Center of Central Jersey at CentraState Medical Center. She chose CentraState because of its specialized and tailored physical and occupational therapy program for stroke victims. One year later and after making tremendous strides in her recovery, Navas is gaining independent mobility, and even running on the Alter G antigravity treadmill with a goal of completing her first 5K marathon this summer. She is grateful to her therapists who continue to motivate her daily, restore her well being, and help her reach new personal milestones. The Neuroscience Center of Central Jersey at CentraState offers cutting-edge technology in the diagnosis and treatment of nervous system disorders, including diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles.The highly trained neuroscience team includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, epileptologists, radiation oncologists, and rehabilitation and pain management specialists. They provide a comprehensive assessment of a patient’s condition and develop an integrated, customized treatment and management plan to meet the patient’s needs, as in Navas’s case.
The Neuroscience Center’s team of experts combine the latest technology with integrated, wellness programs and holistic care to help its patients achieve the best possible outcomes from disorders of the brain and nervous system such as stroke,Alzheimer’s disease, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. For more information about the Neuroscience Center, visit centrastate.com/neuroscience or call 866-CENTRA7.
On May 27, from 5:30-8 p.m., CentraState Medical Center is hosting a Neuro Wellness lecture series at its Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus. The free event will feature lectures presented by clinical experts about prevention and treating back pain, epilepsy and seizure disorders including the effects on autism and developmental delays, as well as training and nutrition for optimal brain health. For more information, call 732-308-0570 or visit centrastate.com/healthprograms.