Why train standing up when it’s possible to train sitting down? There are a number of good reasons. The most obvious one is that we are practising ultimately for moving around on our feet, not practising for sitting on a chair.
In daily life, before you had a stroke, you were spending a good portion of your day on your feet. Time now to have a go at doing the best you can to regain standing position, with your weight as balanced between your two legs as possible. To maintain an upright position is essential for regaining strength in your lower body and to improve your balance. This leads to your ability to walk well. ‘Balance’ is simply your ability to hold your body vertical and keep that position while doing activities. Your balance keeps you from falling, and is controlled by several systems working together, sending and getting signals from your brain. A stroke can change your balance due to any (or all) of the following: an injury to one of the systems that controls stability, damage to the system connections to your brain or direct injury to your brain. A stroke can affect the way your sight, the receptors in your inner ears and your body sensors work together, and how the signals get to and from your brain. So, if you cannot see clearly, you may not be able to react to what is around you as easily as you did before. If you cannot sense where your head or trunk is positioned, your brain may have trouble knowing what signals to send to your muscles to keep your body upright. If you cannot feel and sense where your limbs are moving, it is hard for your brain to be sure where to send your limbs to for the next step. Balance control is an active process maintained by the central nervous system to keep the body upright. The brain relearns how to interpret the information and forms new movement plans to send out to your muscles to adjust for changes in your balance. These newly learned movement plans, over time, are stored in your brain. With lots of practice, your brain can begin to use the new movement plans in response to changes in your balance. Using moveable surfaces can help here, which is why therapists often use therapy balls, bolsters and rocker boards to challenge trunk control. Your brain must be able to take in the information from your environment and adjust your body so you stay balanced. If the part of your brain in charge of this task is injured from a stroke, the information may not be processed well. Your brain may also have trouble sending the right messages back to your muscles. By challenging your balance in training situations, the receptors are being retrained to pick up information. Which is why although it can be a scary thing to do, balance training is a very important part of your rehabilitation.
The second major reason for training on your feet is that you work harder than in a seated position, which is better for your general fitness. A recent study in Dalhousie University, Canada, placed the activities and heart rates of 20 stroke patients with ischemic stroke who participated in routine inpatient and outpatient stroke rehabilitation, under observation. It was found that neither PT nor OT sessions elicited enough cardiovascular stress to induce a training effect. The patients involved in this study were only 2-14 weeks from the date of the stroke, but they already needed more intensive training than therapy could deliver. Interesting. This exactly mirrors my own experience too. How about you? It was also found in the study that activities that evoked the greatest heart rate increases were performed in the upright position and involved transitional movements. This information should be like gold-dust to the successful stroke survivor: it is just one more confirmation that the sooner you get up and get moving, the better.
From The Successful Stroke Survivor by Balchin, Tom.
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If you like this post then please share it with others. Each time that you share a post, you can directly help other people – as who knows which people in the world might find us and gain, either directly from the charity or simply by being able to copy an ‘innovative and useful’ move/trick of the trade that might help them manage after stroke.
Every time you share, you could directly help someone – as knowledge is power 😉
#neurorehab #strokerehab #neuroplasticity #strokeexercise #arnistrokerehab #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation
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From groundbreaking AI to immersive virtual reality, new advancements are helping survivors regain function and hope. Here's a look at what's new:
AI-Driven Diagnostics: New AI tools are being used to interpret brain scans and identify the best treatment options faster. In the NHS, a new system has helped doctors diagnose strokes over 60 minutes faster, potentially tripling the chances of a full recovery for some patients.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS): The FDA has approved a device that stimulates the vagus nerve during rehabilitation exercises. This "paired VNS" therapy, when combined with rehabilitation, has helped patients generate 2 to 3 times more hand and arm function than standard therapy alone, even years after their stroke.
Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT): NMT is gaining traction for its transformative effects. By using rhythmic and melodic elements, this therapy can help improve gait, speech, and cognitive function by triggering new neural connections in the brain.
Virtual Reality (VR) Therapy: VR is making rehab more engaging and effective; studies are showing that combining VR games with traditional physical therapy can significantly improve arm function and mobility for survivors by increasing their engagement and the intensity of their sessions.
We think that these developments showcase a shift toward more personalised (and hopefully effective) recovery methods.
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#Strokeexercise #Neurorehabilitation #Strokerehab #ARNIStrokerehab #StrokeRecovery #Rehabilitation #NeuroTech #StrokeAwareness #AITechnology #VirtualReality #MusicTherapy #VNS #HopeAfterStroke
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A new glove-based system that uses functional electrical stimulation (FES) to activate individual fingers could offer a more effective way to support hand rehabilitation in people recovering from stroke or spinal cord injuries.
The FESGlove delivers targeted electrical stimulation to specific hand muscles and nerves, offering greater selectivity than many current systems, which often cause unintended finger movements by stimulating larger forearm muscles.
The device features 10 independent stimulation channels and combines silver fiber and hydrogel electrodes within a stretchable glove. Users can adjust settings like frequency, current amplitude, and pulse width to suit different needs.
Developed by researchers at the University of Bath and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the glove was designed to overcome limitations in traditional rehabilitation techniques that often fail to restore the fine motor control needed for tasks like buttoning a shirt or typing.
The research team sees the FESGlove as a potential platform that could eventually be integrated with brain-computer interfaces and other advanced neurorehabilitation tools.
This study was published in the journal Neuroelectronics on June 2, 2025.
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#strokerehab #neurorehabilitation #StrokeRecovery #functionalelecticalstimulation #neuroscience #medicaltechnology #FutureOfMedicine #strokeawareness #fes
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The future of stroke recovery is here, and it's full of exciting possibilities ;) 🚀🧠
For many reading this at ARNI Stroke Rehab, stroke rehabilitation has meant months of repetitive therapy with a slow, uncertain path forward. But advances in technology are paving the way for a new era of highly effective, personalised recovery.
Imagine a future where stroke survivors can:
🤖 Train with robotic devices: Wearable exoskeletons and robotic limbs can provide precise, high-intensity, and repetitive therapy, helping retrain the brain to form new connections.
🎮 Immerse themselves in virtual reality (VR): VR headsets create engaging, interactive games and simulations that make therapy more motivating, turning repetitive exercises into goal-oriented tasks.
🧠 Use their minds to move: Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are learning to decode a person's thoughts to control robotic devices or stimulate muscles, restoring movement even in those with severe paralysis.
⚕️ Heal with regenerative medicine: Groundbreaking research in stem cell therapy shows promise in repairing damaged brain tissue at the cellular level.
For those with lived experience, these innovations offer new hope and for researchers and clinicians, they provide powerful tools to unlock the brain's full potential for recovery.
Are you or a loved one a stroke survivor? What tech innovation are you most excited about? Share your thoughts below! 👇
w#strokerehabo#neurorehabilitationo#StrokeRecovery##Rehabilitation##neurosciencen#medicaltechnologyd#FutureOfMedicineu#strokeawarenessS#Roboticse#VirtualReality##braincomputerinterfacemputerInterface
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There are many things that all stroke survivors must do, and many things that most will need to do. Start with basic tasks that you need to master in order that you can work towards more complex tasks. Everything you do will rewire your brain: by doing more, you will develop more motor control and gain strength. You will ‘get nothing by doing nothing’.
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Not sure what to do? Call us on 0203 053 0111 or email support@arni.uk.com to find out if there's a trainer near you who can help you.
#neuroplasticity #neurorehab #strokerecovery #strokerehab #strokeexercise #arnistrokerehab #strokerehabilitation #strokesurvivorscan
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ARNI STROKE CHARITY NEEDS YOUR HELP! PLEASE DONATE JUST A FEW £ NOW TO HELP US ASSIST SURVIVORS - THANK YOU SO MUCH 😇! -
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If you have upper limb difficulties, this is the online video that will be your ally. Here, Dr Tom shows you how you, too, can get as excellent function back in your upper limb as he has. He shows you what he did to gain function and shows tools that he has built to help survivors train their reach, grasp and release. He then shows you exactly how to make or acquire what you need to do what many hundreds of people have used to significantly (and very quickly) to reduce spasticity and flaccidity – and to gain control again of your more-affected hand.
arni.uk.com/product/the-successful-stroke-survivor-dvd-volume-6/
#StrokeRecovery #neuroplasticity #ARNIstrokerehab #strokerehabilitation #strokeexercise #neurorehab #strokearmrehab #strokerehab
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Following stroke, a foot drop gait is common, affecting 20 to 30 per cent of stroke survivors (Peishun et al., 2021). We all know that for decades, the standard of care has involved Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFOs)—passive, rigid braces that stabilises the ankle but rather fails to promote active muscle engagement.
However, a new frontier of technology, including advanced neuro-prosthetics, wearable exoskeletons, and smart orthoses, is revolutionising how we treat foot drop, shifting the focus from passive compensation to active rehabilitation.
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) has been a significant advancement over traditional AFOs. Recent research is focused on creating smarter, more adaptive FES systems. Novel algorithms now use information from muscle synergy patterns—the coordinated activation of multiple muscles—to optimize stimulation delivery and create a more natural gait. Implantable FES systems, with electrodes placed directly on the nerve, offer an even more discreet and comfortable experience by eliminating the need for surface electrodes.
The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart sensor technology is creating new possibilities for personalised and home-based rehabilitation. Instead of static plastic, modern orthoses can incorporate sensors to provide real-time feedback on walking patterns.
* Real-Time Feedback: In-shoe sensors can track gait metrics like pressure distribution and foot inclination, providing immediate feedback to both the user and clinician.
* Tele-rehabilitation: Mobile apps linked to smart devices allow for remote monitoring, personalized guidance, and progress tracking, empowering patients to continue therapy at home.
* Aesthetic and Comfort-Focused Design: Innovations like the "HDC Shoe" prioritize aesthetics and discretion, overcoming a major barrier to patient acceptance of traditional, bulky AFOs.
Technology is fundamentally changing the prognosis for stroke survivors with foot drop. As research moves from single-technology solutions to hybrid systems, integrating robotics, FES, and AI, we are moving closer to a future where rehabilitation is truly personalized.
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Upper limb robots can supplement ARNI training by assisting with intensive, repetitive exercises that might otherwise be too demanding for trainers or therapists to deliver or us stroke survivors to manage to do. The best results are seen clinically when robotic therapy is combined with conventional methods, and different robots are suited for varying needs.
Robotics can deliver a higher dosage of repetitive, task-oriented exercises and provide consistent, objective data to track progress. They can be broadly categorised into two types based on their function and how they interact with the stroke survivor:
* End-effector devices, which are independent of the patient and attach at a single, distal point, such as the hand… and are effective for training movements in a horizontal plane but are less capable of controlling and isolating the movement of individual joints.
* Exoskeleton devices, however are wearable, powered devices resemble and attach directly to the human arm, with their joints aligned to mimic human joints, which allows for assisted movement of specific joints in the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. Upper limb exoskeletons operate in several modes to help with different stages of recovery:
Assistive mode: For patients with very little to no movement, the exoskeleton fully supports the limb and helps the patient perform the desired motion.
Assist-as-needed (AAN) mode: As the patient recovers some motor function, the device detects their initial movement intention and provides support only when needed to complete the task.
Corrective mode: This mode provides force to gently guide the limb back toward the correct trajectory if the patient’s movement deviates from the desired path.
Resistive mode: For patients with significant motor recovery, the exoskeleton can provide resistance to help them regain strength and better control their movements.
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#strokeexercise #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab #arnistrokerehab #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #neurorehab #neuroplasticity #strokerecoveryexercises
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