Spasticity (high tone) A common physical response to brain injury caused by your stroke, spasticity can cause muscles in your arms or legs to tighten uncontrollably, causing pain and discomfort. Spasticity in one or more of your limbs is muscle shortening caused by damage to the portion of your brain or spinal cord that controls voluntary movement. Certain muscles (such as the finger flexors) can become continuously contracted. Spasticity is dependent on the speed with which muscles are moved. So, the faster a sudden, passive stretch is made, the faster your resistance to it will be. Symptoms may include hypertonicity hypertonicity (increased muscle tone), clonus (a series of rapid muscle contractions), exaggerated deep tendon reflexes, muscle spasms, scissoring (involuntary crossing of the legs), and fixed joints. The degree of spasticity varies from mild muscle stiffness to severe, painful, and uncontrollable spasms.
From The Successful Stroke Survivor book by Tom Balchin
#strokerehabilitation #neurorehab #strokerehab #neuroplasticity #arnistroke #neurorehabilitation #strokesurvivorscan #strokeexercise #strokerecovery
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First 2026 ARNI instructor course starts on 24 January 24
This is the ONLY FUNCTIONAL REHABILITATION & EXERCISE TRAINING QUALIFICATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE UK which teaches experienced therapists and exercise instructors how to continue the rehabilitation path of stroke and other acquired brain injury survivor.
The course if for therapists and exercise instructors who are Level 3 and above or suitably qualified – who wish to teach functional rehabilitation & exercise training after stroke and receive regular recommendations/referrals from the ARNI Institute.
Find out more, and how to register for the accreditation here arni.uk.com/instructors/
#StrokeRecovery #exerciseafterstroke #strokerecoveryexercises #strokerecovery
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In 2026, the story of 41-year-old Adam Watkins serves as a powerful and sobering reminder that we must never ignore the subtle warning signs our bodies send us. When Adam woke up with a completely numb, 'dead' sensation in his arm, he initially dismissed it as nothing more than having slept awkwardly during the night. However, as the morning progressed and his speech began to slur, the terrifying reality set in that he wasn't just experiencing a trapped nerve, but was actually in the middle of a life-altering medical emergency 🚑.
Medical professionals later confirmed that Adam had suffered a major stroke, directly linked to his long-term £200-a-month smoking addiction 🚬📉. The toxins from years of heavy smoking had caused significant damage to his cardiovascular system, leading to the critical blockage in his brain. For Adam, the realization that his expensive habit had nearly cost him his life was a devastating wake-up call, highlighting how a daily routine can slowly build up into a catastrophic health crisis without any prior warning signs.
Now on the road to recovery, Adam is sharing his journey to warn others that a stroke can happen to anyone at any age, especially if they are smokers 🚭❤️. He has completely quit the habit and is urging people to recognise the BEFAST symptoms - Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech, Time - to ensure nobody else makes the mistake of 'sleeping off' a stroke. Let’s take his story to heart and prioritise our health over our habits to ensure we're there for the people who love us most! 🙌
#StrokeAwareness #StopSmoking #HealthJourney #ActFAST #StrokeSurvivor
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Do you have drop-foot from stroke? Dr Tom recommends buying the Ankle Exerciser (ASIN B0D76J46QK), currently at £325 on Amazon to accompany your ARNI training with an instructor or by yourself with the help of the ARNI manual and DVDs. It's a specialised rehabilitation tool specifically designed for stroke survivors to address foot drop, ankle stiffness and muscle atrophy 🦶📉. By focusing on active and passive movement, it helps rewire the neural pathways through consistent, repetitive motion, which is essential for improving your gait and preventing long-term joint freezing 🧠⚡️.
This device has helpful features like 3-speed regulation and manual or automatic control modes, allowing you to customise the intensity based on your personal comfort and recovery stage 🎮🔄. The tech behind it enables full-angle training, covering both plantarflexion and dorsiflexion to ensure your ankle gets a thorough range of motion while you remain safely seated or lying down 🛋🏥.
Its ergonomic design includes a soft inner wall to protect sensitive skin and a reinforced strap to keep your ankle securely locked in place during every session, making it a reliable partner for home-based ARNI rehab training in the New Year 🏠🛡.
#strokerecoveryo#hemiplegiasupportp#anklerehabR#healthtech2026h#footdropreliefelief
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Mr Jay Ward was awarded Senior ARNI Instructor status in December 2025 at ARNI Rehab Training Day! Congratulations Jay!! Only one Senior status is awarded annually. This status is awarded at the ARNI Trustee's discretion to Instructors who have not just a combination of history of long and exemplary service with the ARNI Charity but also regularly represent ARNI on a regional, national or international stage.
Jay not only takes care of a full roster of ARNI stroke rehab clients on a daily basis (driving to 14 patients in four counties from his base in the Midlands), but is of constant terrific help to the Charity. He mans the ARNI stand with at the 3 day national Stroke conference each year, assists at Training Days and gets involved with suggesting and refining policy at Instructor level throughout the year. Thank you for everything that you do, Jay. If you've met Jay along the way, please give this post a Like! And please Share!
www.arn#ARNIstrokerehabtr#neurorehabilitationb#neuroplasticityp#strokeexercisek#strokerehabilitationbilitation
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Training with Tom DVD
Real-life training on the mat with Dr Tom. He takes a stroke survivor through a training session.. This DVD is where many of the exercises, techniques and strategies will really come to life for you as you see how they work together, if practised carefully and with some dedication, to produce a trainee who is totally transformed in terms of action control, strength and confidence in the ability to move and function normally in society again.
Get your copy today!
www.strokesolutions.co.uk/product/training-tom-dvd/
#neurorehabilitation #strokeexercise #neurorehab #neuroplasticity #strokerehabilitation #strokerecovery #exerciseafterstroke #strokerecoveryexercises #strokerehab
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🦾 A pioneering Norwegian start-up, Vilje Bionics, has just developed the world’s first exoskeleton designed to support the entire arm, from the shoulder all the way down to the hand and following successful trials with over 40 patients, the company is preparing for a commercial launch in Norway during the first half of 2026 🗓🚀! ✨
Unlike existing arm exoskeletons that often stop at the elbow or focus solely on the hand, this revolutionary device, known as VilPower, provides integrated assistance across every joint, allowing survivors to perform complex, natural movements for the first time since their stroke 🚶♂️.
What makes VilPower truly different is its thought-activated design 🧠⚡️. While traditional tech relies on sensors placed directly on the skin, this prototype uses novel non-contact sensor technology coupled with machine learning to detect even the tiniest 'residual' muscle signals 📶. It essentially listens to the user's intent; when you think about moving, the exoskeleton amplifies that small impulse into a full, fluid motion! This helps rewire the brain through neuroplasticity by providing immediate physical feedback for every mental command.
While a specific UK release date hasn't been set, the rapid progress toward medical device compliance suggests it could follow shortly after the initial launch. Although an exact consumer price is still being finalised, early estimates for high-end bionic assistance of this caliber often range between £5,000 and £15,000, with the goal of making it an accessible alternative to long-term intensive clinical therapy 💸🏥.
www.arni.uk.com
#ARNIStrokeRehab #ViljeBionics #Exoskeleton #HealthTech2026 #NeuroRehab
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Happy New Year from all at ARNI
www.arni.uk.com
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THE LATEST STROKE RECOVERY NEWS INCL. Mobile Stroke Units & the 86% Reduction in A&E Transfers -
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With 175 five-star reviews on Amazon.co.uk, this book and techniques/strategies manual by ARNI Founder Tom Balchin is acknowledged to be very comprehensive. Because of this necessity, in order to present the evidence, approach, tips, hints and ‘tricks of the trade’, it is also quite heavy for some stroke survivors to fully use during self-rehab if upper limb limitations are present.
So, it is now available in one complete edition on ebook (1480 pages of real-deal advice of ‘skip-to’ sections), making it MUCH easier to use. 
One Comment
How can I listen to it and look at the pictures? I’ve got aphasia so it’s difficult to read