Rehabilitation in Acute Stage

The goal of rehabilitation for stroke victims in acute stage has been primarily focused on preventing immobility-related complications such as deep vein thrombosis, cardiopulmonary deconditioning, pressure ulcer, and joint contractures. Early mobilization is the first-line preventive strategy for most of these complications. Although many clinical guidelines for stroke management recommend starting mobilization as soon as patients are medically stabilized, the definition of mobilization remains unclear, and the supporting evidence has been insufficient. In the phase III A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial for Stroke (AVERT), mobilization started very early (