Instructors & therapists on the specialist ARNI Functional Rehab after Stroke accreditation listening to lead physiotherapist Fran Brander at the Institute of Neurology at Queen Square (UCL) discussing the high-dose high-intensity upper-limb rehabilitation protocol for people with chronic stroke at Queen Square: read more at BMJ Open
Data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) shows 11,341 people had a final diagnosis of a stroke in 2024, compared to 11,137 in the previous year. But only HALF of these people actually got access to the appropriate treatment they needed.
Such measures include giving patients aspirin and transferring quickly to specialist wards: vital to ensure the best chance of survival and recovery.
The Scottish government responded yesterday that it is investing £52m in stroke care and is working with health boards to drive up standards of local treatment.
Stroke patients at an English hospital are getting quicker diagnoses with artificial intelligence that gives consultants instant access to brain scan images. The system in Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley introduced RapidAI to speed up triage – prioritising patients by urgency – by sending scans directly to consultants’ mobile phones.
The technology speeds up the triage process by providing instant access to diagnostic imaging, accompanied by preliminary reports for clinicians to quickly verify and act upon – significantly improving response times and outcomes.
The technology also flags suspected strokes in patients that may not show traditional clinical signs, such as speech problems or a droopy face or eye.
It means patients can receive potentially life-saving treatments earlier.
Since its introduction at Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, patients have been diagnosed within 40–60 minutes – up to an hour faster than without the technology. When it comes to strokes, obviously every second counts. We’re told that the government plans to roll out AI use across the NHS as part of a 10-year shift from analogue to digital systems.
Over a million people reside with effects of stroke in the UK right now and over 85% of people who have had a stroke now survive. But everyone knows that it’s the biggest disabler of all and also that effective help tails off soon in the community – and that survivors unfortunately tend to decline rather than improve. Recovering from a stroke can feel like trying to find your way through a dense fog—challenging and disorienting. That’s where ARNI (Action for Rehabilitation from Neurological Injury) comes into play.
ARNI has been around for nearly two decades. Recently, it’s been gaining attention for its remarkable benefits, making it essential for every stroke survivor. ARNI is a game-changer in stroke rehabilitation. ARNI is a specialised rehabilitation program designed for survivors of neurological injuries. Unlike traditional hospital rehab that’s one-size-fits-all, ARNI emphasises one-on-one personalised and active rehabilitation with the emphasis on maximal dosage of repetitions to optimally stimulate plasticity per session. This approach is reported often to get better results in terms of movement return (often clear, incremental spasticity/flaccidity declines over time which have the effect of increasing action control) than traditional, more passive therapy modes.
ARNI does its best to reverse this latter trend by providing dedicated and intensive help… having proven over the years that it is possible, with effort, to guide people to achieve real rehabs & much better qualities of life.
Stroke is the number 1 cause of disability in the UK, and someone has a stroke every 5 minutes. 4 out of 5 families will be touched by stroke at some point. ARNI (Action for Rehabilitation from Neurological Injury) UK Stroke Rehab Charity helps people of all ages who have suffered strokes, to recover in the community. To do this for each person, it matches survivors up with one of our 140 qualified and insured specialist neuro-exercise instructors who are then able to support the person at their home once therapy finishes, often due to time & resources.
ARNI Instructors assist survivors with the performance of functional task practice, physical coping strategies & resistance training. For example, they teach an innovative method for people with one virtually un-usable arm and weak leg to get down to and up from the floor safely and quickly without support from a chair or another person, thereby reducing the fear of falling -and also reducing the need to carry a stick. ARNI Charity also offers a comprehensive speech and language service, helping with communication, dysphagia & cognition.
Do you have shoulder dysfunction and/or pain as a result of your stroke, or know someone who does?
Studies estimate that 50% of stroke survivors experience proprioceptive impairments in their upper limbs. These may include limited range of motion, muscle weakness, joint instability, and pain, all of which can severely affect independence and quality of life and are interlinked with motor, sensory, and musculoskeletal changes.
Shoulder dysfunction and pain are among the most common and disabling consequences of stroke. Everyday tasks such as dressing, eating, or reaching for an object become difficult or even impossible. Balance and coordination problems are also prevalent and deeply interconnected with shoulder dysfunction. People recovering from stroke often experience fatigue, weakness, and joint stiffness that make conventional rehabilitation programs difficult to access or sustain.
Shoulder pain
If you have hemiplegia in your arm from your stroke, there is a good chance that you may also suffer from shoulder pain. Shoulder pain can disrupt your daily activities and make it difficult to sleep. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that allows motion in any direction. Because it’s so mobile, it’s also vulnerable to injury.
Some people have shoulder pain as early as two weeks after their stroke, but it’s more common for it to start about two to three months later. The evidence indicates that 80% of patients with post-stroke shoulder pain have resolution within 6 months. Shoulder pain can have consequences on not only the use of your arm and hand, but also other aspects of your rehabilitation, such as transferring from a bed to chair or maintaining balance.
There are many things that can cause shoulder pain including (but not limited to) poor arm function, spasticity, subluxation, bursitis, and tendonitis. Bursitis is a shoulder disorder that occurs when the bursa sac (the padding between the bones and tendons in the shoulder) becomes inflamed. In some cases, bursitis can lead to ‘frozen shoulder’; a condition that causes it to lock up, significantly affecting how much you can use it. You may be given a sling in hospital to try and reduce shoulder pain, but currently there is no clear evidence that sustained sling usage significantly corrects shoulder pain.
Shoulder subluxation
Shoulder subluxation is a partial (minor) dislocation of the arm at the shoulder joint that often occurs after a stroke. In most cases, extreme muscle weakness can result in the muscles not being able to hold the weight of the arm at the shoulder, resulting in the humerus (upper arm bone) dropping down out of the shoulder joint. It can also cause the shoulder blade to lose its normal position. Muscles affected by spasticity around the shoulder joint can also pull the humerus and shoulder blade into abnormal positions.
If your arm is affected by subluxation, your physiotherapists will let you know, and you may well be able to see the difference in level between your more-affected and less-affected shoulder in the mirror. It’s important to protect your shoulder from injury and try to keep your more-affected arm in as normal a position as you can manage.
When resting, your more-affected arm can be kept in a comfortable position which prevents or lessens subluxation. Make sure no-one lifts you from a seated or lying position underneath your arms. This can cause damage. Instead, try learning with a therapist, as soon as you can, how to get yourself from both a seated to standing position and from the floor to standing without involving your more-affected arm much.
There is evidence that starting with a sling suspension system and conducting active shoulder exercises may be effective in reducing shoulder subluxation, improving proprioception and upper extremity function. However, after discharge, survivors often retain slings for lengthy periods in the community simply because they have no clear guidance concerning whether it’s possible to reduce (or stop) using one altogether. And if so, when to do it. Please understand that a sling won’t help you in the long run and may well hold back your recovery.
Understandably, improvement of post-stroke shoulder subluxation is shown to improve performance of task-specific, functional activities. So, you must seek the advice of a therapist or your GP concerning how and when to reduce sling usage. Careful retraining without one is the probably the only way, combined with exercises such as those listed below, that you’re going to fully correct shoulder subluxation.
Range-of-motion exercises for the shoulder joint should include flexion-extension, abduction-adduction and external-internal rotation. Careful weight-bearing exercises for the affected upper extremity can be very beneficial for you but pulling motions, like rowing, must be avoided. Training with a linear shoulder robot can improve shoulder stability, motor power, and result in improved and retained functional outcomes. Electrical stimulation is also shown to be consistently effective at reducing subluxation…
But what if therapy didn’t have to feel like therapy? An invitation extended to you if/as appropriate for you!
A New Way to Move: Non-immersive Virtual Reality Rehab from Home
A collaborative team from University of Exeter and University of Leeds is exploring a novel solution: using a web-based game that can be accessed from any device with a camera to help improve shoulder movement, balance, fatigue, and pain in chronic stroke survivors.
The study is part of the eMBraCE activity programme, which aims to see whether digital, game-based exercises can help chronic stroke survivors regain shoulder movement and improve their balance while reducing pain and fatigue.
The idea is simple but powerful: deliver fun, engaging therapeutic activities through a game, allowing users to do short bursts of guided movement in the comfort of their home. No special equipment is needed — just a laptop, tablet, or smartphone with a webcam.
This study is proof of concept that aims to see whether even short-term use of such a game can make a measurable difference. And now, they are inviting participants to get involved too.
One of the things they will measure is electromyography (EMG) signals from the skin surface. This will tell them about electrical activity produced when muscles contract. They plan to use this to assess how the nervous system is adapting to control movement in different pain conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the purpose of this study?
This study is part of the eMBraCE activity programme. It aims to see whether digital, game-based exercises can help chronic stroke survivors regain shoulder movement and improve their balance while reducing pain and fatigue.
Who can take part?
You are eligible if:
What will I be asked to do?
You’ll attend a session at the VSimulators facility in Exeter or University of Leeds. The session takes about 2 hours, including preparation and testing.
During the session they will ask you to:
Are there any risks or discomforts?
Risks are minimal. You may feel some fatigue or mild discomfort during the exercises, similar to any physical therapy session. The team will be with you throughout to ensure your safety and comfort.
Will I be paid for taking part?
There is no payment, but the team offers up to £50 reimbursement for your time and travel costs.
How is my personal information handled?
Your data will be pseudonymised (de-identified) and stored securely. You can choose whether or not any images or videos taken during the session can be used in publications or presentations. Opting out will not affect your participation.
Can I withdraw from the study?
Yes. You may withdraw at any time, even during the session, and can request your data be deleted if you wish.
Dukelow, S. P., Herter, T. M., Moore, K. D., Demers, M. J., Glasgow, J. I., Bagg, S. D., Norman, K. E., & Scott, S. H. (2010). Quantitative Assessment of Limb Position Sense Following Stroke. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 24(2), 178–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/1545968309345267
Cardiovascular exercise is defined as any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for a prolonged period of time. It isn’t difficult to do and there are lots of options.
Walking, jogging, running, cycling, stepping, swimming, boxercise and rowing are examples for those who haven’t suffered a stroke. Options for stroke survivors are narrowed somewhat from these choices but at least one or other of the above can probably be achievable, either supported or unsupported.
When you do these types of activities, your respiratory system starts working somewhat harder as you begin to breathe faster and more deeply. Your blood vessels expand to bring more oxygen to your muscles, and your body releases natural painkillers (endorphins).
Your GP no doubt has already told you that if he or she could put cardiovascular exercise into a drug, it would be one of the most effective medications to prevent and/or treat patients with cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular diseases. But cardiovascular exercise, despite the known benefits, is still known to be under-utilised by clinicians as a ‘prescription’ during rehabilitation.
Being unfit and inactive is clearly a risk factor for stroke. But you may also have noticed that it’s a consequence of your stroke, even if you were reasonably fit pre-stroke. Being inactive for a long period of time after stroke is related to a multitude of physiological consequences that can result in reduced fitness, increased risk of cardiovascular events, sickness or even death.
The great news is that exercise training is a really potent stimulus for improving fitness after stroke and it doesn’t have to be at all onerous. It can be made to be fun and satisfying to do.
National guidelines emphasise the importance of at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Nevertheless, by the time all therapist help has finished, you may still lack a clear, results-producing, progressive programme that you can plan, perform, record and evaluate over the long term. Don’t feel guilty if you haven’t done anything much since your stroke. Let’s start the journey of putting it right.
There is growing evidence to suggest cardiovascular exercise promotes neuroplasticity. In the brain, certain molecules and hormones power plasticity and cardiovascular exercise has been shown to increase how many of these molecules we have floating around in our blood. This is vital, as neuroplasticity mediates cognition and the re-learning of movement after stroke. So, not only can cardiovascular exercise increase the number of connections in your brain and improve your road to recovery, it can do so while creating a healthier cardiovascular system. Exercise also generates a boost of crucial neurochemicals in the brain as well as affecting the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
Cardiovascular exercise strengthens your heart’s efficiency. It also increases the amount of blood that leaves your heart with every beat (stroke volume), meaning your heart doesn’t have to beat as many times per minute.
Your heart essentially doesn’t have to work as hard, which in turn increases its efficiency. The increase in capillary density also allows for greater exchange of those essential nutrients your body requires. Cardiovascular exercise therefore can decrease arterial stiffness. This allows for the blood to be pushed along your arteries through proper dilation and contractibility, with an adequate amount of pressure.
Cardiovascular exercise is the first step to keeping or creating a healthy heart and arteries while the second intervention is diet. There is now a substantial body of evidence to support the importance of cardiovascular exercise for mobility, health and well-being as part of rehabilitation for stroke survivors.
Research has demonstrated that at least 80% of recurrent vascular events after an initial stroke or TIA could be prevented through cardiovascular exercise, education and lifestyle changes.
A recent systematic review has shown that exercise interventions can result in clinically meaningful blood pressure reductions, particularly if initiated early and alongside education about healthy lifestyles. The use of cardiovascular exercise to improve your heart and lung health is well established. However, of extra relevance for you is that motor control, cognition, fatigue, depression and sensory functions are all posited to improve via regular practice. Definitely worth taking some time per day to do!
The evidence for exercise after stroke has resulted in the development of stroke-specific community exercise programmes. The system is analogous to the very well-established rehabilitation services for cardiac disease patients which usually start after usual rehabilitation has ended. Collaborations between health boards and council-run leisure centres have resulted in the establishment of exercise referral schemes, which have provided a range of stroke-specific cardiovascular exercise programmes delivered to smaller and larger groups.
Additionally, some UK charities offer free or minimal-cost group exercise classes. Both modes are often well run, low in frequency (once a week for possibly one hour in duration), low in cost and usually beneficial (dependent on every possible variable, from venue accessibility to the character of the instructor).
Be careful however, not to think of such classes as the only retraining you need to do. Fitness classes can be beneficial but you’ll soon spot that those purporting to give you some rehabilitation ‘mixed in’, actually won’t be very effective at doing so. My advice would be to keep fitness and rehab efforts separate. What you need to be doing in terms of exercise is probably to regard it as comparable to a prescription of medication.
Most people end up finding it much easier and more efficient just to invest in some equipment and exercise at home daily. Stationary exercise machines such as bikes are great for this.
Those that are known as recumbent or semi-recumbent bikes (depending how reclined it is) would be my first choice for a ‘beginner stroke survivor’. These types of gym bikes can be picked up relatively affordably from a variety of places and often aren’t cheap but they hold a considerable re-sale value.
You can even prop your ipad on the display ledge and watch videos or listen to music to help the pass the time. You might possibly find it difficult to keep your more-affected foot on the pedals due to weakness and/or loss of feeling and sensation in your legs. If you’re experiencing such problems, look at the internet to see if you can get a customised pedal made. This kind of job is often most efficiently carried out by a clever bicycle fixer in a dedicated bicycle shop or even a mechanic or engineer. Such people will be really great at problem-solving and coming up with the best device for you. If all else fails, it’s even possible to adhere trainers to pedals and slip your feet into them! Trainers with strong Velcro tops work well for this.
Many people will want to do some form of cardiovascular exercise daily. Go for it. If this is not achievable, it’s advised that you complete 10-60 minutes, 3-6 days per week, depending on your status and the intensity of the exercise being completed. This may sound like a lot to do, but it does need to be contemplated. And it doesn’t have to be onerous at all.
Intensity of exercise is dependent on your heart rate or the amount of effort you feel you’re exerting. The more intense the activity, the higher your heart rate will be. And the less time you’ll probably need to train for. You’ll soon find that you can create a weekly plan which allows you to slot in some frequent but short sessions of cardiovascular exercise.
How about also incorporating a variety of exercise into your lifestyle? Particularly exercises like walking and swimming, which can be done with friends or family, and are a great way to socialise while achieving some exercise. Sometimes you won’t be able to get out and about as often as you need, to do a form of exercise. So, as mentioned earlier, it’s a good idea to plan how you’re going to get it done by yourself at home.
Try to monitor yourself while exercising, so that you can follow your own progress and also know when you need to push yourself a little further. There are several ways you can do this. Heart rate monitors are a great way to keep track of the intensity you’re working at. Speak with your GP to find out what heart rate you should be working at for your age.
Pedometers are readily available and using one is simple way to monitor how many steps you do daily. A ‘wearable’, such as a FitBit, can track activity, sleep and heart rate over time, and is worth getting to provide extra real-time info.
A big tip from Tom: make sure to record and celebrate any and all successes. Try to pinpoint how you achieved new action control in your ADLs. This is often via something achieved in your retraining. Start to become aware of these. Get this data recorded somehow.
I created special training diaries to all my patients and make sure they’re completed. It makes retraining (and the planning for it) far less abstract and becomes surprisingly easy to do. These are available to buy if you want one or two, by the way, from us at the ARNI Stroke Rehab Charity – see the ARNI shopping selection
Good luck with your cardio training; please comment below if you’ve found the above helpful and tell us in your comment what you personally like to do for cardio exercise as a stroke survivor.
Have YOU got any tips and survivor ‘tricks of the trade’ you can share to help anyone reading? Gratefully received!
Much, much more info like the above can be found in the Had a Stroke? Now What? book. Get your copy from ARNI if you’ve not got yours already: all profits go straight to help stroke survivors….
There has been attention given by researchers in stroke across the globe to tie down what we really ‘mean’ by the terms ‘rehabilitation’ and ‘recovery’.
In neuropsychological terms, if the phenomenon of creativity is first under examination, we might discover the descriptor term: ‘4 P’s of creativity‘: the person, process, product and press. The ‘press’ being the ‘environment’ where the creator is creating/inventing/innovating (these three terms also have different definitions).
Also, note as an aside that if ‘Press’ may involve ‘where one creates’ / where/who is around to help you do stuff / what sources can you look at / involve with etc etc, it does rather shine a light on the importance of being cognisant of not just ‘where one is’ (eg, in a flat, in a tower block, in the suburbs of London) but how one can bring maximal resources to bear to help your own situation.
For example; can you set up some effective home training gear? Can you get help from a qualified therapist or instructor to come to you to help in the early days? Can you get to a stroke rehab class if there’s one worth bothering with? Can you investigate interventions.. and learn about everything from CIMT to finding and utilising a specific kind of AFO which won’t restrict neuroplasticity but will support it whilst supporting you? Etc.
If one looks at how these 4 P’s of creativity map over to definitions produced by a global expert panel in 2017 (Bernhardt et al),which included long term supporter & friend, Professor Nick Ward at the Institute of Neurology, UCL, one can see that in the framework above, recovery is the product. A ‘product in perma-flux’! I’ve placed a blue line around a sentence from the paper which bears repetition.
After your stroke, the aim of rehabilitation is to help you overcome and cope in the long term with the damage caused. You’ll be helped to relearn or adapt skills so that you can be as independent as possible. Arguably the concept which will bear the most importance upon your rehabilitation potential from now on is ‘neuroplasticity’;
Your brain attempts to repair as much as possible after stroke, but there is a downside. During this period of repair, the neurons that surround the infarct are not able to do their job of conducting impulses.
Only once corrective metabolic activity recedes, swelling declines and ‘stunned’ neurons reawaken. This resolution is usually complemented by neuroplasticity. There is then available a period of optimal learning; when the area surrounding the lesion is at its most ‘plastic’. Although, it must be understood that that your although your ‘plastic potential’ declines, it will never be lost.
A town-planning analogy may be considered; in the same way a city has many streets and roads that link different suburbs, your brain has many connections that link different parts of your brain. There are many different exits and junctions that can take you wherever you need to go in the quickest way possible.
The more a road is used or the more popular it may become (ie, if a new short-cut to a motorway has just been loaded to the sat-nav technology), the more traffic may build suddenly up along that route, so the council may strengthen the existing road to cope with the traffic and/or add more lanes or new routes to cope with the increased traffic (new connections). It will also add speed-bumps no doubt!
Your brain can substantially reorganise itself in response to the input it is, or isn’t, receiving after stroke. Your brain has the ability to seek out older, less-used, ‘secondary’ roads if the ‘main roads’ are blocked or damaged.
Neuroplasticity allows us to compensate for irreparably damaged neural pathways by strengthening or re-routing remaining ones. The more you use these pathways, your brain will respond by upgrading them so that they’re more efficient at handling the traffic and the quicker the information is sent. The more the pathways (or ‘roads’) are used, the more adequately functional a task, ability or skill may seem to become.
Have a think about this; recovery is a journey. Rehabilitation is the road. Re-training is the vehicle and YOU are the driver. You’ve got a destination to go to, but it’s an on-going one, like a tour!
You absolutely, unequivocally, must drive yourself through your weeks, months and even a few years of rehabilitation to continue your recovery. The good news is that this road isn’t going to be boring, at all. On the contrary, the weather may be changeable at times but you’ll have lots of company on the way and there will be loads of great shops to try new rehab and/or self-management gear at and pubs to make pitstops at!
This is why repetition in rehabilitation post-stroke is so heavily emphasised. The more you repeat activities, the more likelihood you have potentially to gain back some of the function you may have lost due to your stroke. There is now a strong consensus among rehabilitation experts that the most important element in any recovery programme is carefully directed (well-focused and appropriately dosed) repetitive practice.
A big secret to success with your upper limb for example (dependent on presentation) is, after early intensive recovery efforts have moved you to a certain standard of functional movement, to start ‘creating’ things with the thought of ‘formal rehab’ firmly in the background.
The choice or choices of hobby you take on to pursue over the long term would be set up first to ensure that your more-affected upper limb, from shoulder to fingertips, is maximally involved. The requirements of painting a picture involving your more affected hand and acquiring skill at this practice is one example. Or setting out to make cards to sell for charity or on Ebay!
One problem that many researchers find is that individual creative efforts like these don’t readily lend itself to measurement, however contributory they are to your overall rehab. And creativity notoriously suffers under measurement and control during trials. This is one of the reasons why you won’t find ‘off-the-shelf’ custom self-rehab programmes. They are by nature all generalised. They have to be.
And furthermore, motivation must ‘run like a ribbon’ through the creative process. This must be intrinsic to the creator – there must be a NEED to create, to problem-solve until an objective is complete. This need stokes interest, drive, enthusiasm, desire, perseverance, passion and persistence.
So remember, the ARNI 4 retraining elements are meant to be initially explored with the help of a therapist or trainer if possible, then individualised by you, the creator, as soon as appropriate.
A good start is to try to take onboard, and adhere to, these 9 golden rules:
1) Time matters: neuroplasticity is a process rather than a single event, with windows of opportunity opening for different skills at different times. In rehabilitation, starting earlier is usually better than starting later.
2) Repetition matters: you must do a task over and over again to actually change your brain.
3) Specificity matters: you must skillfully practice the exact tasks you want to improve.
4) Salience matters: to change the brain optimally, the skills you’re practicing must ideally have meaning, relevance, or importance to you.
5) Intensity matters: more repetitions in a shorter time are necessary for creating new connections.
6) Train to transfer: practicing one skill can often result in improvement of a related skill.
7) Use it or lose it: the skills you don’t practice often get weaker.
8) Use it and improve it: the skills you practice the most, you get better at the most.
9) Age is a number: younger brains tend to change faster than older brains, but significant functional improvements are possible at any age.
10) Engage with others: get as many other people involved with your rehab over the long term as you humanely can!
Experts in stroke acknowledge that a majority of stroke survivors in reality simply do far too little or nothing in terms of practising the tasks they need to perform. This inactivity is explained by many possibilities. They may not know how to self-rehabilitate after physiotherapy becomes unavailable.
They may believe that their doctor has told them that they will never get any movement back in a certain limb. They may just find it’s rather easier to get others to do things for them. They may have a fear of falling or suffering a further stroke.
Many others don’t apply themselves to self-rehabilitation for fear of ‘doing it wrong’ and/or developing abnormal lasting compensatory strategies. This is often, in our experience, caused by advice given to them that does not adhere to the conclusions of the latest evidence-based reviews of the stroke research literature.
The current neurological research indicates very clearly that much of the current rehabilitation care worldwide focuses on return to independence in basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) rather than on restoration of motor or sensory function.
The hospital therapists who I know, understand that both are part of successful rehabilitation. Early discharges from hospitals are a good idea to free up hospital beds and to get you back to familiar surroundings once again. But only if the support mechanism of your further ‘re-training’ is in place.
Often the support can finish far too quickly, leaving survivors (and usually their families/carers too) worried about what to do next, and who to go to for further help. Outpatient therapy and community care, or the lack of it, is often quite wrongly blamed for not solving all their problems.
ARNI Stroke Rehab can help with this; please go to www.arni.uk.com, have a read and then give us a call to to see if we can support you ;)
www.arni.uk.com
#strokeexercise #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab #arnistrokerehab #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #neurorehab #neuroplasticity #strokerecoveryexercises
Recent news in stroke rehabilitation highlights advancements like using retro video games for cognitive and motor recovery, new wearable robotic devices to assist with arm and leg movement, and high-intensity walking programs showing promise for improving mobility and quality of life in early stroke patients.
Additionally, new non-invasive techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation are being investigated for their potential to enhance motor and language skills.
Retro Video Games: researchers in Sydney are using retro video games like "Foot Tetris" and "Space Invaders" to make rehabilitation fun and effective, helping patients with balance, cognitive reaction times, and complex stepping manoeuvres.
Wearable Robots & Devices: startups and universities are developing wearable robots and connected systems for ankle, foot, and upper limb rehabilitation. These devices, some with embedded electrodes, help retrain the brain and muscle connection by detecting muscle activation and stimulating nerves.
Neurostimulation: clinics and universities are researching non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), to improve motor and language recovery after a stroke.
www.arni.uk.com
#strokeexercise #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab #arnistrokerehab
If you want to learn how to get up from the floor then ARNI online video no. 1 is what you need.
www.strokesolutions.co.uk/product/successful-stroke-survivor-dvd-volume-1/
#arnistrokecharity #Stroke #strokesurvivors #neuroplasticity #strokerehab #exerciseafterstroke #strokeexercise #strokerehabilitation #strokerecoveryexercises #strokerecovery #neurorehabilitation #neuroplasticity
Learning the right technique is the most important thing, it eases the difficulties of everyday life. Tom's DVDs are very useful for everyone:)
Very important to learn
What does your blood type reveal about your stroke risk? Your blood type plays a role in more than just transfusions. Recent research suggests it may also influence your risk of developing certain health conditions, including stroke.
People with blood type A may face a slightly higher risk of early-onset ischemic stroke. A study published in 2022 in the journal Neurology analyzed genetic data from over 16,000 stroke patients and nearly 600,000 controls. The researchers found that individuals with type A blood were 16% more likely to experience a stroke before the age of 60 compared to those with other types. One reason may be that it can also increase the risk of clot formation in blood vessels, potentially leading to a stroke.
Though type AB is the rarest blood type, some research suggests it may carry one of the highest stroke risks. A 2014 study from the University of Vermont found that individuals with type AB blood had an 83% higher risk of stroke. Furthermore, a protein known as Factor VIII, which plays a role in blood clotting, was determined to account for 60% of the association between type AB blood and stroke risk. The combination of A and B antigens as well as higher clotting factor levels may influence inflammation, vascular function, and the likelihood of blood clots, leading to a heightened stroke risk.
If you have blood type O, the research is a bit more reassuring. Multiple studies have found that people with type O blood generally have a lower risk of developing blood clots and by extension, a lower risk of ischemic stroke. According to the 2022 study mentioned above, those with type O blood were 12% less likely to experience an early-onset stroke compared to those with other blood types.
People with type O blood typically have lower levels of von Willebrand factor and factor VIII, both of which play a role in clotting. While this can lead to slower clotting in injuries, it also seems to provide some protection against unwanted clots in the arteries.
www.arni.uk.com
#strokeexercise #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab #ARNIstrokerehab
Have YOU got aphasia?
Approximately 40% of stroke survivors experience this difficulty: to comprehend or produce spoken or written language caused by a cerebrovascular accident. In half of these cases the language impairment still persists one year post-stroke. Aphasia has wide-ranging effects on the ability to function and quality of life of stroke survivors and easily leads to social isolation.
If you need help, ARNI SLT Telerehab can now help YOU, right now, wherever you are in the world!
The latest evidence shows clearly that you can conquer aphasia very successfully with the help of speech and language therapy.
And it also shows that SLT Telerehab is just as effective as in-person, face to face treatment.
We have a team of highly experienced low-cost specialist SLTs (all post-grads from Universities such as UCL, the University of Cape Town etc) who are available to help you right now, in your home, via Zoom. You get a one to one hourly service, based around your diary needs, from the comfort of your own home, with a highly experienced specialist speech and language therapist. Please enquire to arni.uk.com/get-remote-speech-language-help-now/ !
#aphasia #strokesurvivors #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #strokerehab #aphasiaawareness #neurorehabilitation #arni #exerciseafterstroke #strokeexercise #strokerecoveryexercises #neuroplasticity #ARNIstrokerehab
www.arni.uk.com
A new research initiative aims to lay the foundation for the country’s first genetic screening programme for brain aneurysms—potentially reshaping how the NHS identifies and manages a life-threatening but often overlooked condition that can devastate families for generations.
The ROAR-DNA Project, a UK-based multicentre research project bringing together researchers from University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) and the University of Southampton, is the first study of its kind and scale to investigate the genetic markers that may predispose people to develop brain aneurysms.
Brain aneurysms are balloon-like swellings in blood vessels of the brain, found in approximately 3 per cent of the UK population, that’s over 2 million people. While most aneurysms remain stable and harmless, around 1 in 100 will rupture, usually without warning, causing a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH)—a type of stroke that can be fatal or severely disabling.
In the UK, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 people experience a brain aneurysm rupture each year, with around half of these cases proving fatal.
Most aneurysms are sporadic, meaning they are one-off events, but there is evidence of a strong genetic component to the development of intracranial (brain) aneurysms. They often run in families with over 16 per cent of patients with an aneurysm having an affected parent or sibling.
Despite this significant data, no genetic screening programme currently exists, and little is known about the genes that impact aneurysm growth and rupture.
The UK four-year ROAR-DNA Project aims to close that gap by collecting and analysing genetic data from 6,000 patients with brain aneurysms, comparing this against data from patients without brain aneurysms, working in tandem with the existing ROAR Study, which is already tracking over 20,000 patients across the NHS—the largest study of its kind globally.
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#strokeexercise #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab #arnistrokerehab #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #neurorehab #neuroplasticity #strokerecoveryexercises
Cycling for Stroke survivors: One of the more beneficial methods of exercise and rehabilitation for stroke survivors is cycling. Using an at-home cycle trainer to stimulate the muscles in both arms and legs can help improve movement and walking ability in many ways, including:
Stimulates reciprocal movement – Walking requires a continuous and repetitive motion that can be difficult or impossible to achieve post stroke. A cycle trainer forces a coordinated and symmetric movement with both legs that can lead to improvements in their gait over time.
Can be used soon after a stroke – Until a survivor is able to engage in gait training to start walking again, a cycle trainer can be used to help rebuild the muscles and brain pathways that have been damaged.
Isn’t just for use in rehab – Even after daily and weekly therapy sessions are no longer required, a cycle trainer is a great tool for a healthy lifestyle. After a stroke it can be difficult for many survivors to maintain an active lifestyle so incorporating time on a cycle trainer can help build a healthy routine. This daily activity can even help to prevent repeated strokes.
Very safe tool in stroke recovery – With a seated or standing cycling trainer there is no balance required so the risk and fear of falling is significantly reduced and most survivors can use it almost entirely without assistance.
Easy to track progress – Cycling outcomes are easy to track and see as a survivor progresses from session to session.
Easy to alter the training regimen – Most cycle trainers have adjustable settings which will allow the user to customize their training session to their specific needs. Adjusting the levels of resistance in order to focus on muscle building (high resistance, low reps) or cardiorespiratory fitness (low resistance, high reps) means that each user will receive a personalized and targeted therapy session.
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Which machine is shown please? My community physios said there are many available on the market which of course I knew by then and had said it would also lead to expensive mistakes for me, which it did. The first because it was too rickety and moved around a lot, but I still might be able to use that as a table top arm cycle trainer as I improve This looks stable and would be able to be accessed at a good angle by a wheelchair user or in a seated position and the straps and pedals look big enough for my giant feet and v. Helpful for backwards cycling which I had identified I needed to do in rehab to help with ankle and hip flexion and it really did
I found it very useful for my stroke survivors:) share.google/HRrBU7LSnKSi8bAcM
Interested in getting one, but from where?
A story for you. a True story, It happened.
Once there was a young boy. His name was Tom. He barely came of age when he had a stroke.
This tragedy happened back in 1997.
Tom's left side was completely paralyzed. He had barely started being an adult, and his normal, happy life was already over. Everything fell apart at once.
At this point, most people give up and turn to themselves. She wonders why him. Why so young? Why did it have to be this way? How could you make it not happen?
But Tom didn't want to bury himself.
He didn't give up. He wanted to heal. He wanted to live life to the fullest. He wanted to rehabilitate himself and was looking for ways to get back on his feet.
And he wasn't just looking for it. He found the solution.
He began to develop a method: his rehabilitation was a novel combination of self-defence sports, muscle building with weights, and mental/self-management training.
Tom got to his feet.
After the stroke, he regained almost all of his functional movements, tripled his physical strength and has been continuously improving himself and his technique for the past 20 years.
Tom Balchin. ARNI Director and stroke survivo#strokerehabilitations#neuroplasticityi#ARNIstrokerehabi#ARNIstrokerehabh#neurorehabo#strokerecoverye#strokerehabe#strokesurvivorscan #strokeexercisescan #strokeexercise
Good Lord Pam! Will you also be available to write my eulogy in due course?! 😉 Tom
Very inspiring x
Your courage, determination and leadership , in addition to inspiring people, Tom,has brought so much joy, support and mental healing to countless people throughout the UK, Ireland, Hungary, the USA and indeed all over the world through your website, publications and direct one to one training. It is a privilege to know you are my Son in Law, but even better to have you as my friend. Take care. M
🙏🙏🙏
❤️ Tom, you continue to be an inspiration to us all x
Inspiration ❤️
Thank you Tom for helping so many people with this ARNI method. I m very happy to work with you in this journey .As a physiotherapist I can see how we can achieve functional improvement in stroke patients in a very short time with this different approach. Thank you very much;)
Aka the Stroke Whisperer 👏🏻💪🏻
Well done Dr B.
Did you manage to get back to driving after a stroke? Please let us know - and please tell us of your experiences so that other survivors can maybe benefit ;).
The deal is that after a stroke or TIA, car (and motorbike) drivers are not allowed drive for a minimum of one calendar month. Some people will be able to drive after the minimum period but others will have to stop for longer; some people will have to stop driving for good. It's your responsibility to ensure you are safe to drive.
If your doc, therapist or eye specialist thinks you are not safe to drive, you must stop driving and contact the DVLA (if you don't, you risk being fined up to £1,000). They might ask you to have a driving assessment. But even if nobody tells you to stop driving, it's your responsibility to find out if you are able to drive after a stroke. This depends on several things including the type of stroke you had, its he effects and other medical conditions you may (now) have, like epilepsy.
If think your driving might be affected by stroke, a Driving Mobility centre can give you individual advice. They can tell you if you need to inform the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland), who may arrange a driving assessment and support with going back to driving.
You also have to tell your motor insurance company if you have had a stroke or TIA. If you don't, your insurance might be invalid. If you drive without insurance, you can be fined or lose your licence.
See the DVLA stroke guidance online or contact DVLA medical enquiries on 0300 790 6806 for advice about the process. Motorists in Northern Ireland can call the DVA on 0300 200 7861 for advi#strokeexercise.#neurorehabilitation##strokerehabi#ARNIstrokerehabha#strokerecoveryh#strokerehabilitations#neurorehabl#neuroplasticityh#strokerecoveryexercisesokerecoveryexercises
Ah hey don't worry Greig Cochrane - I don't drive either and I'm 50 now - last had a full license 30 years ago. I have controlled epilepsy as a result of stroke, you see... not having a car certainly doesn't have to be a barrier to leading a full life (if you have a wife or husband who's happy to ferry you around!), Tom
I did an assessment in an adapted car and got my licence back but only to drive adapted vehicles
I was assessed last month, 18 months after my stroke. I had to have lessons in an adapted car.
No i never got back. My conception of depth and distance are awful. So no chance for me. I could maybe drive an automatic if it wasn't for this problem
