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Are you a stroke survivor who is struggling to sleep? If so, you are not alone.

Research has found that sleep problems are much more common for stroke survivors, compared to in the general population. This is an issue because sleep is so important for many reasons. A lack of sleep can have a negative impact on our mood, reduce our alertness and concentration and can even affect our learning of things, including motor skills.

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Researchers led by Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg, together with the Oxford Centre for Enablement and the Oxfordshire Stroke Rehabilitation unit, looked at sleep quality in 59 brain injury and stroke patients in rehabilitation units. They found that those who had a better sleep quality saw greater improvements throughout their rehabilitation. Patients with better sleep showed less overall movement impairment in their affected arm and legs and were more mobile when they were discharged from hospital.

2021 03 02 16 16 20 - OXFORD UNIVERSITY RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE SLEEP OF STROKE SURVIVORS - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceProfessor Johansen-Berg and Dr Fleming have expanded this study, assessing stroke survivors in the community.

In total, 70 stroke survivors and 76 people who hadn’t had a stroke took part, by answering questions about their sleep and wearing an activity monitor at home. Some had experienced stroke fairly recently (within the past year), whereas others had their stroke many years prior to taking part in the study.

Similar to what they found for people in hospital, stroke survivors rated their sleep as significantly worse than people who hadn’t had a stroke, and spent more time awake overnight.

2021 03 02 16 15 28 300x102 - OXFORD UNIVERSITY RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE SLEEP OF STROKE SURVIVORS - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceThis did not seem to relate to how long it was since the stroke occurred, leading researchers to conclude that sleep problems can persist long term after a stroke. People who reported difficulty sleeping were also more likely to have low mood, such as symptoms of depression.

Using this information about how important sleep is in the recovery of stroke survivors, the researchers are now hoping to find ways of improving sleep for stroke survivors, both in hospital and later when they are home.

This is why they are currently running the INSPIRES study (Improving Sleep in Rehabilitation after Stroke), which is a study looking at a sleep-improvement programme for stroke survivors in their homes. If you are a stroke survivor who wants to improve their sleep, take a look at the information from the Team below!

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Some wonderful ARNI members have already taken part in the study, and so far the study has over 50 people participating. If you would like to improve your sleep and help with some research that aims to positively impact the lives of stroke survivors in the future, please do get in touch with the Team:

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2021 03 01 18 17 30 - OXFORD UNIVERSITY RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE SLEEP OF STROKE SURVIVORS - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

bolt burdon kemp 2 150x150 - ARNI CHARITY PARTNERS WITH BOLT BURDON KEMP SOLICITORS - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceBolt Burdon Kemp (BBK), a very highly-regarded Brain Injury Solicitors firm in London, have become Corporate Partners to the ARNI Charity for Stroke Survivors!

This is hugely exciting for us and we would like in particular to thank Hokman Wong, Senior Solicitor and specialist in cases where adults have suffered brain injuries for agreeing in principle, then working closely with us to bring about this Corporate Partnership.

It is necessary to define terminology. BBK want to support ARNI and the people that it serves, by bringing its resources, time and contacts to bear help the Charity. Those who the Charity and BBK support are most generally the same, creating a symbiotic relationship that works well for both parties. In this instance, helping both to raise issues and provide concrete help for survivors of brain injury. Whilst BBK may provide some financial support to ARNI, given the demand for ARNI’s valuable service, any and all financial or other support you are able to donate to ARNI will be gratefully received!

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  1. The first activity has been for Hokman Wong, who is particularly concerned with Rehabilitation Prescriptions (RP) for those with TBI to interview the ARNI Director about the state of play for stroke survivors in this area. Dr Balchin is a founder member of the ABI Alliance, created by Professor Mike Barnes, which campaigns to highlight the role of the RP and to ensure that post-discharge, the individual with ABI and/or their family/carers have a copy of it, an appointment with the GP to discuss its contents and a plan for accessing the neurorehabilitation services detailed in it.

Rehabilitation Prescriptions: Are Stroke Survivors Being Let Down?

In 2010, the Clinical Advisory Group recommended every patient admitted to a Major Trauma Centre should have their rehabilitation needs assessed and documented through a Rehabilitation Prescription (RP).  Ten years later RP’s are still not being consistently and effectively used to the detriment of patients and the people who support them.

Here I talk briefly to Tom Balchin, founder of Action for Rehabilitation from Neurological Injury (ARNI) about his experience with RP’s and how it could benefit stroke survivors if used properly.  Tom suffered a haemorrhagic stroke when he was 21.  Through hard work and determination he overcame the effects of his stroke.  For the last 20 years Tom has devoted his life to helping other stroke survivors make a functional recovery through a specialist rehabilitation and exercise programme he developed based on his own experience.  The ARNI programme is backed by a number of clinical studies and Tom’s methods are endorsed by senior doctors.

1) Question: What is a rehabilitation prescription?

Tom: The notion of an RP first came out of Trauma Services a decade ago.  At this time there was a growing understanding as patients moved between stages of recovery in acute centres to rehabilitation in the community, there was often a steep fall-away of information available to professionals and patients.  Such information is essential to guide a patient’s rehabilitation to ensure the best outcome. The RP itself should identify the rehabilitation needs of a patient and how these needs will be met.  It should be started within 3 days of admission to a Major Trauma Centre by a suitably qualified member of the rehabilitation team, usually a Band 7 physiotherapist.  The RP ought to be regularly reviewed and updated by the multidisciplinary team (MDT).

2) Question: What information should a rehabilitation prescription contain?

2021 02 08 16 31 03 300x181 - ARNI CHARITY PARTNERS WITH BOLT BURDON KEMP SOLICITORS - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceTom: From a patient perspective the main aim of an RP is to document neurorehabilitation needs in order to plan treatment to meet those needs.  Neurorehabilitation is multidisciplinary, with core specialties including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and neuropsychology. The RP should contain information on various aspects of recovery including: description of injuries/illness; psychosocial background; treatment to date; clinical restrictions; and individualised description of rehabilitation needs.  There should be enough information for each specialist in the MDT to plan and deliver ongoing rehabilitation to maximise the potential for optimal outcomes.

3) Question: Who should be given a rehabilitation prescription?

Tom: A copy should be given to both the patient and/or family as well as their GP.  However, as Professor Mike Barnes, ABI Alliance Chair, has stated ‘the RP has no value if the individual with an acquired brain injury and their GP don’t receive a copy.  If the individual and the GP don’t know what rehabilitation is required then no access to services can be planned or implemented’.  There is a view, clinically and in the community, that use of RP’s is sporadic.

4) Question: Turning to stroke, why are rehabilitation prescriptions important for survivors?

Tom: When the patient reaches the community, past the realms of NHS help, an RP that can be used to inform ongoing rehabilitation is ideal.  Some patients, or most often their families and or carers, are very careful to keep as much information as they can.  However, often patients seem to travel away from the clinical remit without copies of MDT discharge notes and no guidance about ‘what to do’ when they get back home.  Particularly during this unprecedented period, when the disruption to health and care services caused by COVID-19 meant national stroke initiatives across the UK have been paused or slowed.  It is not surprising that this is happening.

5) Question: Can you give an example of recent disruption to stroke services?

Tom: As far as recent patient-care is concerned, telehealth is being utilised like never before.  A recent Stroke Association survey of almost 2000 survivors makes interesting reading.  44% had appointments related to their stroke online or over the phone during the pandemic.  28% had therapy (including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech language therapy) online or over the phone.  Unfortunately, virtual methods of healthcare have not been an option for everyone and the number of stroke survivors who had therapy cancelled or postponed is double the number who received therapy online or over the phone pre-pandemic.  This shows many have gone without their usual rehabilitation support.  For patients who have gone without, or had very little therapy, and have the means to afford private support, an RP would be ideal to inform an independent therapist or trainer.

6) Question: What is your experience with rehabilitation prescriptions in stroke survivors?

Tom: They basically don’t happen.  Even now, senior clinical therapists around the country have only heard rumours about them being created and are not at all clear what form these would take. I talked to Professor of Healthcare Research at Nottingham University, Avril Drummond, about RPs for stroke survivors.  Professor Drummond is aware of most nuances of the national situation and forthcoming initiatives in stroke.  After a few weeks of asking colleagues about RPs for stroke survivors she ‘drew a total blank’.  Further questioning to some national Leads revealed they ‘don’t know’. If national Leads don’t know, then we can be pretty sure that nothing is going to take place on this any time soon.  This is a shame because it would be invaluable for a patient to know any therapist or trainer they choose to work with can gain access to a simple ‘passport’ containing up to date information on their rehabilitation needs. Ideally, an RP would be updated as a patient moves forward in their life after stroke.  The RP would be accessible by other rehabilitation professionals.  Assisting professionals is essential to getting the best outcome in the most efficient way.

7) Question: What is required to ensure rehabilitation prescriptions are used effectively?

Tom: The answer would have to be a comprehensive national rehabilitation strategy to roll-out RP’s as a requirement to give to patients and professionals; to provide clear data to refer to as patients move away from acute services to community services and beyond.

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2. Hokman last year wrote a superb Review of ‘Had a Stroke? Now What? Hospital to Rehabilitation and Beyond’. Thank you Hokman!

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3. BBK and ARNI are now working on a 3-hour Zoom-based Stroke Rehabilitation Conference/Workshop in April 2021 for professionals and patients – and are working on the schedule at this moment. Exciting times: thank you for supporting ARNI by reading these posts and even forwarding them on to interested friends and colleagues! The more people we can reach the better.

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If you feel you need advice, may have a Brain Injury claim or are enquiring on behalf of a loved one, please contact Hokman direct, free of charge and in confidence to discuss at hokmanwong@boltburdonkemp.co.uk. Please tell to him that you saw his name and email on the ARNI site.

Life is rather restricted at the moment. It’s not that great. Is your rehab on pause? Are you currently still in a wheelchair? Or, do you have just a few limitations from stroke? Or do you have a friend or family member who is??

front page flyer 212x300 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceIf this is the case, ARNI would like to help you rehabilitate your balance control, cope with foot drop, get stronger, reduce spasticity, recover the ability to grasp & release objects and become self-reliant rather than dependent on others.

Whatever your status, whoever you are, ARNI would like to offer you the full 7 Successful Stroke Survivor videos (45-60 mins) either in physical format, or convenient online anytime streaming access format to any device, for half price to give you encouragement to persevere..

Learn how ARNI Rehab Concept align directly with the latest evidence base for stroke rehabilitation interventions and get to practise them alongside Dr Balchin as your guide, at home!

The Full Set (physical or streaming) is £98.00 incl p&p – but get yours now for £48 (incl p&p)!
 Individual DVDs (physical or streaming) are £20 incl p&p – but get yours now for £10 (incl p&p)!

(Your price is lower than the cost-price for the ARNI Charity)

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pic10 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face pic19 Copy 1 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Facepic18 Copy 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face pic14 Copy 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face pic5 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face pic4 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face You’re so welcome to take advantage of this offer, which is time limited until 1st March 2020, by calling the ARNI Central Number

0203 053 0111pic13 1 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Facepic11 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Facepic3 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Facepic2 150x150 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

Please do leave your name and number if we are unavailable and we will call you back.

 

The evidence base shows that you MUST perform some exercises routinely to help yourself to recover well.

But what do you actually do?? Dr Tom Balchin shows you the best (most generalisable) strategies from the best-selling manual The Successful Stroke Survivor.

button get yours now 1  300x43 - IS YOUR REHAB ON PAUSE?? GET HALF-PRICE 6-7 HOURS OF TOP VIDEO REHAB GUIDANCE! - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face7 DVDs of 45-60 minutes each, filmed in full HD 1080p clarity, this superb quality DVD set or online programme will be your accompaniment to progressive rehabilitation.

Get YOURS or a set as a gift for a friend today. Call: 0203 053 0111

Please remember to leave a message if you are forwarded to an answerphone: we WILL get back to you!!!

Stroke often causes major changes to someone’s identity and sense of self in a range of contexts, through changes to work, relationships and hobbies. 

This comes as a consequence of a range of factors, including the long-term impact of the stroke (to language, movement etc.), situational and psychological changes. However, according to the team, little is known about the extent to which stroke impacts identity, or what factors contribute.

ARNI CHARITY STROKE REHABILITATION ASSESSMENT COGNITION CAHAI 2 - Cognitive Functioning: Identity and Mood in Stroke - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

The University of Surrey is now carrying out a research study into Cognitive Functioning and its Relationship with Identity and Mood in Stroke: please read on!

 About the Research

This study is about the impact of stroke on identity: assessing the relationship of changes in sense of self to other direct or indirect causes of stroke, such as mood, language and memory. For their analysis, the team are looking for a wide range of survivors, not only those with perceived difficulties with the above issues following stroke, but also for those without.

Taking part will allow them more insight to the psychological impact of stroke. The team emphasises that while this is unlikely to have personal benefit for the person taking part, the study will publish anonymised data in scientific journals, therefore increasing understanding and potentially improving psychological care.

Open to Recruitment

You may be able to take part if:

  • You are over 18 and have had a stroke at least 6 months ago.
  • You do not have any further neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s.
  • You do not have a current psychiatric disorder that is not under effective management.
  • You are able to provide informed consent.
  • You are able to complete a questionnaire either independently or with help from a caregiver.

If you are unsure of whether you are able to take part, please contact us (h.thompson@surrey.ac.uk).

What You Will Need to Do

A team member will ask you to fill out an online survey, which will take approximately 30 minutes. These will ask questions about you, your stroke, your identity pre and post-stroke, and about your mood.

Then the team will follow this up with a virtual Zoom session also lasting approximately 30 minutes. Here, you will be asked to carry out some language and memory tests. The tests are similar to activities you may possibly have done with a speech therapist or psychologist.

surrey - Cognitive Functioning: Identity and Mood in Stroke - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceFor those who do not have access to a computer there is the option to complete the study by phone or post – this may just take a little longer.

What Happens Next

The results may be disseminated in undergraduate dissertations, at academic conferences and in journals, but your part will remain anonymous. The team aims to send you an overview of the findings of their study, along with any further implications, once the research is complete.

Please contact Dr Hannah Thompson at h.thompson@surrey.ac.uk  if you have any questions or require any further information.

If you do not have any further questions and would like to take part, please see the link to the online survey below. You can fill this out in your own time. 

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The team will contact you shortly after you have completed the survey to arrange the second half of the study.

If you would prefer to complete the whole study over the phone or via Zoom. please contact Dr Hannah Thompson or one of the other members of the team:

Carmen Rumbold: cr00473@surrey.ac.uk

Chloe Christaki: cc01485@surrey.ac.uk

Chelsea Mathias: sm02350@surrey.ac.uk

2020 12 31 21 40 13 150x150 - Cognitive Functioning: Identity and Mood in Stroke - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceFor more Information on Cognition, you can get a copy of:

Had a Stroke? What Now? (2020)

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) uses a constant, low electrical current to stimulate a targeted region of your brain. This is performed via surface electrodes placed on the scalp.

UCL RECAPS Study Non Invasive Brain Stimulation study ARNI Stroke Rehabilitation 1 - Could Brain Stimulation help your Arm after Stroke? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceA note for ARNI blog readers: this kind of neuromodulation technology is mostly only accessible during in-patient or out-patient rehabilitation. Clinicians don’t encourage ‘do-it-yourself’ use of tDCS. Even if you find it possible to gain access to similar devices with the intention of applying the stimulation design of published studies, this is inadvisable and dangerous because improper use might cause harm.

Clinically, there is moderate quality evidence of benefit on upper limb impairment, as compared to placebo or control, and there is high quality evidence that it’s not harmful. There exists strong evidence that it does not improve gait or balance when compared to sham stimulation.

Although tDCS could be provided for stroke patients (for example before or during upper limb task-practice to try to boost neuroplasticity, coupled with novel technologies like robot-assisted training), its added value to rehabilitation outcomes has been limited so far due to lack of adequately-powered research. 

So, our colleagues at the Institute of Neurology, UCL have been exploring the issue of tDCS to improve the evidence for potential for improved upper limb outcomes via their ReCAPS Study.

UCL RECAPS Study Non Invasive Brain Stimulation study ARNI Stroke Rehabilitation 2 - Could Brain Stimulation help your Arm after Stroke? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

ReCAPS: Re-opening the critical period for plasticity after stroke. This study is funded by Brain Research UK (BRUK).

(ReCAPS is a research study at the moment, not a clinical trial or free therapy).

This study has now re-opened with extensive COVID-safety measures in place.

OPEN TO RECRUITMENT! You may be able to take part if:

  • You have experienced a stroke which affected the movement of your arm or hand.
  • You have not experienced a stroke.

UCL RECAPS Study Non Invasive Brain Stimulation study ARNI Stroke Rehabilitation 3 1 - Could Brain Stimulation help your Arm after Stroke? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

 

 

 

 

The UCL team wants to know:

  • How brain activity changes after someone has a stroke.
  • If weak, non-invasive brain stimulation could encourage the brain into a pattern of activity which is useful for upper limb rehabilitation.

You will need to have an MRI scan and attend 2 study sessions at the UCL institute of Neurology.

During sessions, you will watch a nature documentary while having very weak brain stimulation. Brain stimulation feels like a warm, tingling sensation on your head.

Please contact one of the team for more information:

Kirsten Thomas: kirsten.thomas.19@ucl.ac.uk

 Jenny Lee: Jenny.lee@ucl.ac.uk

 Carys Evans: Carys.evans@ucl.ac.uk

—————————————RECAS - Could Brain Stimulation help your Arm after Stroke? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

Tel: 0203 4488 774

Website: https://recapsstudy.wixsite.com/research/

Stroke survivors commonly experience fatigue, which can have a major impact on their ability to self-manage and be as independent as possible again. A major survey has shown that the pandemic has made the condition more difficult to cope with. It can greatly impact upon quality of life, making everyday tasks feel overwhelming and unachievable, or just plain exhausting. Furthermore, post-stroke fatigue doesn’t always improve with rest and isn’t necessarily related to recent activity. So, it’s not like typical tiredness. Up to 70% of survivors experience fatigue that includes overwhelming physical and/or mental tiredness and exhaustion. 50% find this kind of particular tiredness to be their main problem.

The Stroke Association reported in September the results of their survey of 1,546 stroke survivors and 403 carers and family members. This includes 110 people who had their stroke this year, and 69 people whose stroke has happened during the Covid-19 pandemic (since March 2020). Their comments showed that the pandemic has caused recoveries to stall, or in some cases actually contribute to making the effects of their stroke – including fatigue – worse or more difficult to deal with. A large proportion reported also reported that the pandemic has had a negative effect on their progress.

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Nottingham University have started a research study (Principal Investigator: Professor Avril Drummond ) to shed new light on the way people seek to manage it. To do this they need to interview as many people who have suffered a stroke and have what they think is fatigue AND/OR interview people who care for stroke survivors coping with fatigue (often a family member or members).

2020 11 24 23 21 58 274x300 - Shedding Light on Fatigue: Your Experiences and Views - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Facefatigue study 1 - Shedding Light on Fatigue: Your Experiences and Views - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceRecent research  indicates that there may potentially be a common pathway linking fatigue to everything from poor-quality sleep and physical inactivity to a bad diet. If this is correct, then a handful of potential lifestyle changes could go a long way to fighting everyday fatigue.

Nottingham University want to find out about you and your daily experiences in order potentially to help you via the outcome(s) of their study. For instance, how much you can actually do in a day without exhaustion? Has your fatigue got better/worse/stayed the same? Have you learned to ‘listen’ to your body and your reactions to activities as well as to your rest periods? Do you keep some kind of activity diary? Have you tried any drug or cognitive behavioural therapy? 

Please note: this is NOT a sample of questions you may be asked but simply informs the issue for this invitation. Please email the Study Co-ordinator, Joanne Ablewhite and her team at the address above…

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Also, as noted above, the team very much need the input of carers. The research team will ask you to be as specific and thoughtful as you can within the short interview timeframe, and will most appreciate your involvement in the study.

fatigue study 2 1 - Shedding Light on Fatigue: Your Experiences and Views - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceIf this is you, what do you find helps the person you care for? Have you noticed that it has become less of an issue as time has gone on? Do you, for instance, try to advise the person you care for to try and pace him/herself before, during and after any activity? What seems to work/have worked for the person? What doesn’t/hasn’t?

Again, please note that this is NOT a sample of questions you may be asked but simply informs the issue for this invitation post. Please email the Study Co-ordinator, Joanne Ablewhite and her team at the address above…

kingston stroke - Shedding Light on Fatigue: Your Experiences and Views - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

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The UCL World Stroke Day Forum is a FREE annual event (26th to 30th October) which invites stroke survivors, carers and loved ones to contribute to and influence the future of stroke research and rehabilitation.

This year, the Forum will be entirely digital (Zoom-based) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

VISIT THE UK WORLD STROKE DAY FORUM SITE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE EVENT ASAP AND BOOK YOUR PLACE.

There will be Live Q&As and workshops with UCL researchers and charity partners, and ‘meet and greets’, where you can informally chat to all contributors. You can also watch pre-recorded talks to hear the latest about stroke research and rehabilitation.

The event takes place over a whole week: it’s going to be superb!

The Zoom-based Forum aims to empower stroke survivors to contribute to stroke research and rehabilitation at UCL. It will host over 30 live events including Q&As, workshops and informal meet & greets with leading researchers, clinicians and charities.

Tom Balchin from ARNI will be speaking on Monday 26th and Wednesday 28th October about:

How to Approach Functional Recovery at any Stage after Stroke

Please sign up asap – limited tickets now.

Full programme is downloadable from here.

Well-being may be adversely affected following stroke. Approximately 33% report depressive symptoms and 20% report anxiety during the first months or years and general psychological distress and social isolation amongst other factors are prevalent. So, what can be done about this? If you’re a stroke survivor, how can you help yourself to regain well-being, and what exactly is it anyway? 

Tom Oliani ARNI STROKE REHAB - Can Increasing your Well-being Positively Affect your Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceWellbeing ARNI - Can Increasing your Well-being Positively Affect your Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceA study being completed by Tom Oliani as part of his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Sheffield concerns well-being after stroke.

Well-being is basically a combination of how satisfied a person is with their life, and how positive or negative they generally feel. People who have had a stroke can experience decreases in their general well-being. Evidence suggests that people in the general population who report more psychological flexibility and ‘self-compassion’, also often report an increased in well-being. However, there is not much research about whether this is the case for people who have had a stroke.

As such, Tom’s study aims to investigate if those stroke survivors who have do show higher levels of psychological flexibility and ‘self-compassion’ ALSO prove to report feeling more positive towards their circumstances and rehabilitation/recovery than those who report a lesser degree of self-compassion or psychological flexibility. And whether this traits and states change depending on how severe their stroke was and the recovery they make.

Wellbeing Gif - Can Increasing your Well-being Positively Affect your Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

Do consider helping Tom with his study if you’ve had a stroke, or know someone who has! It won’t take a few moments…

Can I take part?

You can take part if:

  • You have experienced a stroke or multiple strokes.
  • You are an English speaker.
  • You are over 18 years of age.
  • You do not have difficulty reading or understanding words.
  • You are not currently either in hospital or living as an inpatient in a residential service.

What will I have to do?

University of Sheffield logo ARNI STROKE REHABILITATION NEURO - Can Increasing your Well-being Positively Affect your Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire about your stroke, thinking styles, and well-being. This will take 15-20 minutes.

You can find more information about the study by clicking this link: Well-being after stroke study

Then just email Tom at t.oliani@sheffield.ac.uk

Do you have difficulty sleeping after stroke? If so, you’re not alone.

difficulty sleeping - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

Sleep gives you the base you need to have the energy for all your daily activities such as working, home life, driving and communication. But is it something about the quality of sleep you get or the quantity that you get that helps? And how does this knowledge help stroke survivors?

Although you may have had problems sleeping pre-stroke, you may have extra difficulties post-stroke. You may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. You might wake up several times during the night or wake up early and can’t go back to sleep. Or you may still feel tired after waking up and find it hard to nap during the day, even though you’re tired. You may find it difficult to concentrate or feel irritable during the day. Some people develop sleep apnoea (a sleep disorder characterised by pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep), teeth grinding or restless leg syndrome.

It is known that lack of sleep can affect your concentration, mood, overall health and how alert you are.

sleep study Oxford ARNI - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

ARNI Oxford Sleep study 1 - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

Researchers from the University of Oxford, led by Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg, together with the Oxford Centre for Enablement and the Oxfordshire Stroke Rehabilitation unit, have been investigating sleep in people with stroke and brain injury. Their study, funded by the Wellcome Trust, has just been published in the journal of Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair.

They assessed 59 people with stroke and brain injury, who were staying in a hospital rehabilitation unit, as well as a control group of 55 people who had not had a brain injury and were at home. They report that people who had experienced brain injury rated their sleep quality as lower than the control group.

ARNI Oxford Sleep study 2 - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceFurthermore, using sleep monitoring wrist watches they showed that, on average, people with brain injury had more disrupted sleep and spent more time awake overnight.

The researchers also wanted to know how sleep quality related to recovery.

They found that upon discharge from the rehabilitation unit, people with stroke and brain injury who had better sleep:

  1. Scored higher on the tests of arm/hand function
  2. Showed less overall movement impairment in their affected arm and legs
  3. Were more mobile.

ARNI Oxford Sleep study 3 - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceWhen looking at recovery of functional independence over the time spent in the rehabilitation unit, people with brain injury who had more consistent, less disrupted sleep recovered more quickly than those who had more disrupted sleep.

 What does this mean?

Oxford flyer 4 - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceDr Fleming reports: “As we anticipated, people in hospital following brain injury generally don’t sleep as well as people who haven’t had a brain injury and are at home. What is really interesting is that people who sleep better seem to recovery more quickly and have better outcomes from their rehabilitation.”

If you have any questions about the results of this published study, please get in contact with Dr Melanie Fleming on melanie.fleming@ndcn.ox.ac.uk

What next?

Oxford flyer 5 - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

In the future the researchers are hoping to investigate ways of improving sleep quality for people in the hospital, and to see whether this can help boost recovery.

First though, they are investigating whether an online sleep improvement programme can help to improve sleep quality in stroke survivors who have already been discharged from hospital. If you have had a stroke and experience poor sleep, then you may be able to take part in this research. Would you like to take part? 

ARNI INSTITUTE NOTES: DO PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH DR FLEMING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD ASAP IF APPROPRIATE – WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD EMERGE IN TERMS OF OPTIMISING FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY AS RESULT OF IMPROVING SLEEP?

Oxford flyer 6 - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceOxford flyer 3 - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

Oxford flyer 7 - Quality or Quantity of Sleep: Which Is Better for Rehab? - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

‘HAD A STROKE? NOW WHAT? FROM HOSPITAL TO REHABILITATION AND BEYOND’.

marr - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceWith a revealing Foreword by broadcaster Andrew Marr, himself a stroke survivor, this seriously practical book reveals everything you need to know about for real-life, evidence-based recovery from limitations caused by stroke, that you can actually understand, use and apply successfully for yourself.

PUBLICATION DATE 01/06/20.

(PLEASE DO FORWARD THIS POST TO OTHER PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW, AS APPROPRIATE)

buy now stroke recovery book - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceWith 244 Royal book size pages of new information and material, it’s the first book Dr Balchin has presented since the 2011 best-selling ‘Successful Stroke Survivor’, so you can imagine that it’s stacked with new thoughts and revelations for you based on experience, the neurorehabilitation evidence-base and help from the numerous experts in stroke in the UK and globally who he is lucky enough to be supported by/linked with.

This book, with photos and illustrations, is a one-stop ‘go-to’ to give to a family going through the painful process of having a loved one suffer stroke – or for the stroke survivor to get for themselves to add to their ‘ammo’.

Here you will find out how to cope with stroke, and recover from it optimally. It takes you through the full process; from arriving at hospital onward. Suitable therefore also for someone many years after stroke, this book reveals many hundreds of clever tips concerning how to rehabilitate effectively and self-manage at home over the long term in a relatively cost-free way.

Had a Stroke What Now Tom Balchin 1513661124.jpg scaled - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceEvery stroke results in different outcomes, dependent on thousands of variables. A clear-cut background to stroke and the problems it may cause is presented. The author is a stroke survivor who has created and refined over the last 20 years, via his Charity, The ARNI Institute, the innovative ARNI approach to stroke rehabilitation. Here he shows you exactly:

  • How to get through the acute hospital time and what family, carers and friends can best do to help.
  • How to dramatically extend your ‘time window’ for potential recovery by taking advantage of your brain’s capacity for neuroplasticity.
  • How to recover lower and upper limb action control balance, stability, arm and hand recovery as well as regaining strength and cardiovascular health over time. 
  • How to develop creative physical coping strategies and how to self-manage using evidence-based strategies and smart tricks of the trade.
  • How to find which practical aids are shown in the evidence to be most likely to work for you, and those which will not, from aphasia to vision.
  • How to secure the appropriate rehabilitation assistance and financial assistance to suit your needs in the community and how to save significant amounts of money and time while doing so.
  • How to gain an excellent quality of life after stroke, and get back to work if appropriate.
  • How to ensure that successful familial relationships and intimate partner relationships can be achieved after stroke.

buy stroke recovery book ARNI - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

Many hundreds of other questions are answered with reference to the clinical experts and latest evidence base. He shows you that nothing in your recovery should be too complex. On the contrary, he shows you how you can make your rehab a fun commitment/hobby. And therefore, easing pressure from your loved ones and supporters.

This book will be of major assistance to anyone who has had the misfortune to have had a stroke and is entering the recovery phase. And essential too, for their families and supporters.

2021 01 03 22 04 38 235x300 - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceEndorsed with the Stroke Specific Framework Quality Mark (Reg. No 19755) by the United Kingdom Forum for Stroke Training and Education (UKSF).

Andrew Marr notes: ‘This book gives you in one place, so far as I’m concerned for the first time, everything that a stroke survivor in modern Britain really needs to know. It tells you what happened, and probably why, and what can be done about it. It doesn’t shirk the grim bits. It explains the jargon. But, while Tom Balchin doesn’t sugar-coat the assault on the brain and its effects, on almost every page he gives the reader reasons for optimism and essential information’. 

Hugh - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceReview 1:Who better to write a guide to stroke recovery than someone who has had one? And of those, there can be none better than Tom. He is smart, and studied the science to find ways to go beyond the usual. No quackery, this, but an inspirational and practical evidence and experienced-based recipe for recovery. I strongly commend it’. Review by Professor Hugh Montgomery, Professor of Intensive Care Medicine, UCL, Consultant Intensivist at the Whittington Hospital, Head of Centre at the Human Health and Performance, UCL Division of Medicine, Director of Research at The Institute for Sport, Exercise and Health, London

Heidi - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceReview 2:This comprehensive and empowering book is a must-read for stroke survivors and their families. The book uses Tom Balchin’s own experience of stroke, his knowledge of stroke as well as his work with others over the past two decades. It is highly readable and provides clear explanations of every step of the stroke journey as well as no-nonsense practical steps that everyone can take to improve their quality of life after stroke’. Review by Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Director, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging & Director, Plasticity Group at Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Oxford University.

Anand Pandyan Keele ARNI 1 - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceReview 3: ‘Combining his academic expertise and clinical learning, Dr Balchin delivers an exceptional high quality text book for a wide target audience. In this wonderful guide, patients and families will find the essential knowledge they need to help maximise recovery potential after a stroke (or for that matter any injury of the nervous system). He also shows the rehabilitation professional the critical importance of empowering the patient to master their own rehabilitation’. Review by Professor Anand Pandyan, Professor of Rehabilitation Technology, Keele University & Associate Non-Executive Director of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

Sarah - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to FaceReview 4:This is an engaging, easy to read book, suitable for anyone on their journey following a stroke as well as for their family, friends and carers. It focuses on how to personally tailor the retraining of mind and body to optimise recovery from stroke. The messages contained here from Tom instil hope and confidence, and a desire to try yet harder and achieve great things that matter to the individual; yet the book is also written with compassion and kindness to accept limitations that may remain. Thank you, Tom, for putting together this road-map to recovery for stroke survivors’. Review by Professor Sarah Dean, Professor of Psychology Applied to Rehabilitation and Health, University of Exeter Medical School.

Mohsen Shafizadeh - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

Review 5:The book is an excellent guide for stroke survivors. It provides essential information about multidimensional aspects of stroke, from its impacts on the body to rehabilitation strategies. The illustration of fundamental exercises and explanation of evidence-based practice models make it highly appropriate for readers’. Review by Dr Mohsen Shafizadeh, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Motor Control and Movement Analysis, Sheffield Hallam University.

khalid ali arni stroke rehabilitation 225x300 - Get your copy of new book! 'Had a Stroke? What Now? by Dr Tom Balchin - Stroke Rehabilitation and Exercise Training for Survivors & Specialist Stroke Courses for Therapists and Trainers, Online and Face to Face

Review 6: ‘Rehabilitation after stroke remains a big health and social challenge in the UK and world wide. Thousands of stroke survivors and their carers/ families/ friends are constantly searching for up to date support and information on how to live a fulfilling life after stroke. Dr Balchin’s new book is a comprehensive document; an essential read for all individuals personally affected by stroke as well as healthcare professionals caring for stroke survivors. Covering various stages of stroke recovery in depth in addition to recommending specific evidence-based rehabilitation strategies, the book offers great insight and practical approaches into commonly encountered consequences of stroke. The book describes elegantly how stroke-related impairments can be managed early on before they result in permanent disabilities’. Review by Dr Khalid Ali, Senior Lecturer in Geriatrics and Stroke Medicine, Brighton and Sussex Medical School & Consultant Geriatrician at Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath.



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