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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

9 hours ago

Time to celebrate & acknowledge the critical importance of the clinical nurse! Nurses play a key role in helping patients manage emotional and social health challenges, or psychosocial health, after a stroke, and improved screening and assessment for psychosocial needs are essential to provide optimal patient care.
As you probably know; while improved stroke management has contributed to a reduction in mortality and improved outcomes following rehabilitation, the incidence of stroke continues to rise in the UK, partly because of the ageing population.
The latest research indicates that 16% to 85% of people recovering from a stroke experience at least one psychosocial symptom, including depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue and/or decreased quality of life.
Critical nursing interventions, such as regular mental health screenings, education, symptom management and follow-up care, are key to reducing the negative effects on a patient's mental well-being after a stroke, yet we know that only a small proportion of patients receive treatment. In the US, there exists a similar picture.

Patricia A. Zrelak, Karen B. Seagraves, Samir Belagaje, Wendy Dusenbury, James J. García, Niloufar N. Hadidi, Kiffon M. Keigher, Mary Love, Gianluca Pucciarelli, Erica Schorr, Cesar Velasco. Nursing’s Role in Psychosocial Health Management After a Stroke Event: A Scientific Statement. Stroke, 2024; DOI: 10.1161/STR.0000000000000471

www.arni.uk.com
#strokeexercise #neurorehab #strokerehabilitation #strokerecovery #neuroplasticity #strokerehab #exerciseafterstroke #strokerecoveryexercises
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

2 days ago

The best way to keep recovery going after a stroke is to stay moving.

If you feel lost and don't know where to start then call us on 0203 053 0111 or email support@arni.uk.com to find out if there's an instructor near you who can help you.
www.arni.uk.com
#strokeexercise #neurorehab #strokerehabilitation #strokerecovery #neuroplasticity #strokerehab #exerciseafterstroke #strokerecoveryexercises
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

2 days ago

Exercise: Pelvic Push-ups & Knee-control This exercise is a fantastic way to develop core strength whilst focusing on controlling the tendency of your affected leg to fall to the side in this position. . Doing this exercise allows you to become very aware of lateral weakness in your leg, something that is not evident just by standing up or walking. . Can you control the way your affected leg falls to the side? We see many stroke survivors who, whilst sitting, cannot prevent their affected knee from flopping right round the corner of the chair. This is usually due to weak adductor muscle.

Find out more about this exercise in The Successful Stroke Survivor book by Tom Balchin
www.arni.uk.com
#strokerecovery #neuroplasticity #ARNIstroke #strokerehab #strokeexercise #strokerehabilitation #neurorehab #arnistrokerehab
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

3 days ago

Spasticity involves stiff, tight muscles that result from miscommunication from the brain. When the brain has been impacted by injury, like a stroke, it might not be able to send the right signals to your muscles anymore. As a result, your muscles tighten up as a result of being over-active, with your brain being unable to tell them to relax when they should.

It can help to realize that the problem is not with your muscles — instead, spasticity originates from the brain. And you can help reduce spasticity and restore mobility in your muscles by engaging neuroplasticity.

As you exercise your affected muscles, you encourage the brain to rewire itself and, as a result, spasticity becomes less severe. This is only possible through consistent exercise, though, as the brain needs repetitive stimulation in order to rewire itself.
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If you like this post then please share it with others. Each time that you share a post, you can directly help other people – as who knows which people in the world might find us and gain, either directly from the charity or simply by being able to copy an ‘innovative and useful’ move/trick of the trade that might help them manage after stroke.

Every time you share, you could directly help someone – as knowledge is power 😉

#neuroplasticity #strokerehabilitation #neurorehab #strokerecovery #strokeexercise #arnistrokerehab #strokerehab
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

3 days ago

18 Things to try
1. Cognitive problems are confusing and frustrating. But, there are some things you can to do help. Most improvements occur in the first 3 months after a stroke, after which they slow down, but the brain will keep creating new neural pathways after this time.
2. To help with memory and perception problems, try using a diary, day planner, calendar or notepad. Writing down appointments and creating to-do-lists can help you to remember them.
3. Photos and pictures can help to ‘trigger’ your memory.
4. Check your calendar, newspaper or diary to help you remember the day and date.
5. Make notes of important conversations.
6. Use notes, lists and labels around the house and help prompt you to remember. Mobile phones are a great resource. Set alarms, reminders and memos to remind you throughout the day.
7. It is important not to overload yourself, finish one task before you start another. Plan your day and prioritise tasks.
8. Try slowing the activity down, working through a step at a time.
9. Keep instructions clear and short, no more than 5 or 6 words to a sentence, and only 1 or 2 instructions at a time.
10. Paraphrasing during a conversation can help you to remember what has been said. This repeating back what they have said in your own words helps to ensure you have understood them correctly.
11. Busy and noisy environments can make it difficult to think.
12. Limit the number of things you have to think about at any one time, for example, turn off the TV or radio when someone is speaking to you. This should reduce distractions and help you to focus on what they are saying or follow the programme.
13. Being in a quiet room can also help you when reading or learning something new. Reducing visual distractions may also help you to concentrate. Keeping the area around you as clutter free as possible could help you to focus.
14. Keep to a routine, for example, dressing in the same order may help you relearn the steps.
15. Engage in activities which help to stimulate problem solving skills. Examples include board games (connect 4, chess), crosswords, puzzles, and brain teasers. There are a variety of phone apps which can help to engage the brain.
16. Stress and tiredness can make cognitive problems worse.
17. Take plenty of breaks and incorporate time in your daily schedule to rest or relax. This is important to allow you to recharge and could be quiet time, meditation, engaging in a hobby or going for a walk.
18. Exercise and listening to music may also have a positive impact on cognitive function.
www.arni.uk.com
#ARNIstroke #strokerecovery #ARNIstrokerehab #strokerehabilitation #strokeexercise #neurorehab #neuroplasticity #strokerehab
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

4 days ago

In May 2018 I woke as normal at 6am and rose to get ready for the gym as I always used to go to the gym before work on a morning I was putting my shorts on when I felt myself falling and found myself on the floor unable to move or speak luckily my wife recognised the symptoms and rang for an ambulance my next memory was waking up in ICU surrounded by my family and with various tubes drains and monitors attached to me still unable to move it appeared that I had suffered a haemorrhagic stroke and had undergone a craniotomy once i had been stabilised I was transferred to another hospital and placed in a stroke ward still unable to move or speak various clinicians began the process of assessment and I soon began rehab with the neuro physios who were very good but were limited by time and facilities for the amount of work they could do with me.
Online and Face to Face Progress was made but very slowly and it was decided that I would have a better chance of recovery if I transferred to a neuro rehab hospital as they had more facilities and staff I was told many positive things about the hospital and was convinced that when I went I would walk out at the end unfortunately I didn’t have as much rehab as I was expecting and after approximately 3 months I was as good as told that I wouldn’t walk again and that I had come to the end of the road there and was discharged to the community physios in my home town physio continued on weekly basis for a further 3months until I was able to transfer from my wheelchair I was then discharged I was not prepared to give up at this point and enrolled with the gym at the local leisure centre.

Fortunately some of the instructors had undertaken ARNI training and were very sympathetic to my situation and put together a programme for me to follow it was very difficult at first but luckily I had been a regular gym goer prior to my stroke so found the routine easy to get into and thought doing something was better than nothing also I started to research stroke rehab online to see if I could find any other rehab methods which is when I stumbled across the ARNI Institute and bought the manual having read the inspirational accounts in the book I decided to try and get a trainer for myself.

When I initially contacted ARNI there were no instructors in my area but luckily they make an effort to find excellent trainers in areas where there is demand and need and I was later matched to Maria who had recently moved to the North East we met for an initial assessment and discussed my goals and began working together in 2021.

Getting involved in the ARNI rehab programme has been life changing for me and I continue to make progress we have regular weekly sessions and Maria is a hard task master and continues to challenge me in every session she also sets me home work to do between sessions and I continue to go to the gym twice a week the rewards of this have been tenfold and she has given me back the confidence to challenge myself further not only that but for someone who would never walk again I have progressed to taking several supported steps and am confident that I will definitely walk again unaided. it’s definitely the best investment I’ve ever made it is so good to have hope back in my life I cannot speak highly enough of the ARNI Institute from start to finish.

For example. Another fantastic session with Maria yesterday we’ve made so much progress it’s hard to describe I always feel so positive after our sessions boosts the confidence and makes me want to challenge myself further and gives me the confidence to push myself further in my other training regime’s after yesterday’s work out I felt like I could do more at the gym today so tried standing press ups against the bar hard work but success really feels like I’ve achieved something this week my only regret is that I didn’t find ARNI and Maria 5 years ago.

Maria says ‘Mark is really motivated; always look forward to our training sessions. The first time I showed him those pop-up men or ‘The Houses of Parliament’ as we call them, his eyes filled with fear! But, after massive doses of repetitive training, he’s able to reach forward (with minimal ‘Body English’) take them out with his index and thumb mainly and then put them back in the slots! When I’m there, we are able to ‘open’ his fingers and thumb to ‘get the gap’ allowing him to involve his middle finger also for reps. Actual release without assistance of the slots is coming along too. He’s doing this using our ARNI programme of very high numbers of reps daily. He also is starting to do the same grasp and release task using lots of different items with his ARNI task-board. He does need a way to support his arm as he trains though and I’m thinking he may do well to try a Saebo-Mas. Go Mark!
www.arni.uk.com
#neurorehab #strokeexercise #strokerehabilitation #neuroplasticity #arnistrokerehab #strokerecovery #strokerehab #strokerecoveryexercises #strokesurvivorscan #exerciseafterstroke #walkingafterstroke #neurorehabilitation
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

4 days ago

Identify barriers to achieving your goals; then improvise, adapt and overcome.
Barriers could include communication difficulties, cognitive impairment, fatigue, mood disorders, other health conditions and even a lack of knowledge or understanding of your problems/condition.
If you feel you may have these, or other barriers, don’t let it stop you setting your own goals.
Take time to ensure that your goals are what you want to achieve. Try to enlist the support of positive people who will take the time to work through what you want to achieve, whether they are family or carers, or therapists/instructors. Positivity breeds positivity.
Be aware of your limitations, but almost everyone can improve and become more functional. Listen to your body and adapt your goals accordingly. You could just break them down to smaller tasks, or do them a different way.
If you are too fatigued, don’t struggle. Rest and return to the task more refreshed.
www.arni.uk.com

If you like this post then please share it with others. Each time that you share a post, you can directly help other people – as who knows which people in the world might find us and gain, either directly from the charity or simply by being able to copy an ‘innovative and useful’ move/trick of the trade that might help them manage after stroke.

Every time you share, you could directly help someone – as knowledge is power 😉
#ARNIstroke #arnistrokerehab #neuroplasticity #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #neurorehab #strokeexercise #ARNIstrokerehab
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