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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

7 hours ago

The history of stroke
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, first recognized stroke over 2,400 years ago. At this time stroke was called apoplexy; meaning "struck down by violence" in Greek. This was due to the fact that a person developed sudden paralysis and change in well-being. Doctors had little knowledge of the anatomy and function of the brain, the cause of stroke, or how to treat it. It was not until the mid-1600s that Jacob Wepfer found that patients who died with apoplexy had bleeding in the brain. He also discovered that a blockage in one of the brain's blood vessels could cause apoplexy.Medical science continued to study the cause, symptoms, and treatment of apoplexy and, finally, in 1928, apoplexy was divided into categories based on the cause of the blood vessel problem. This led to the terms stroke or "cerebral vascular accident (CVA)." Stroke is now often referred to as a "brain attack" to denote the fact that it is caused by a lack of blood supply to the brain, very much like a heart attack is caused by a lack of blood supply to the heart. The term brain attack also conveys a more urgent call for immediate action and emergency treatment by the general public. Today, there is a wealth of information available on the cause, prevention, risk, and treatment of stroke. Although there is no cure, most stroke victims now have a good chance for survival and recovery. Immediate treatment, supportive care, and rehabilitation can all improve the quality of life for stroke survivors.
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#neurorehab #strokeexercise #neuroplasticity #arnistrokerehab #arnistrokecharity #strokesurvivors #strokesurvivorscan
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

11 hours ago

Side-bends are popular in any exercise system, and great for rehabilitation after-stroke due to the weakness evidenced in this area. It is a great warm-up exercise and strengthens the neck, shoulders, obliques and outer hips. It involves all of the abdominal muscles as well as the back muscles and enhances lateral mobility of the spine. Attention should be paid to the abdominal contraction to maintain rib connection and prevent the hips and shoulders from rotating.

Find out more about t is exercise in The Successful Stroke Survivor book by Tom Balchin
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#neurorehab #strokeexercise #Neuroplasticity #ARNIstrokerehab #arnistrokecharity #strokesurvivors #strokesurvivorscan
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

14 hours ago

Going up steps is worthless if you can’t get down them again. Personally, I had to work very hard on developing a technique which solved most of the possible problems of going down steps that you might encounter. And I still have problems. There are certainly no easy ways, but here are two that will allow you to go down stairs quickly, strongly and without betraying any sign of movement limitation. We start off learning the easy version.
Technique: Approach the series of steps and make for the banister that is on your good side. The aim is to start at the top of the steps with the good foot forward (ie., on the edge of the flight). Move your good hand down the banister, then lean slightly over onto the good side. You will find yourself needing to do this, because it will help you to release your foot from the top step and into the space created underneath you to lower your affected foot into. Aim for only the toes hanging over the edge. . Locate the next step with your affected foot and make sure that you bend your knees as you transfer the weight onto it. If you find you have any difficulty putting weight through, due to your foot being too far forward or too far back , then simply move back onto to the good foot to allow the affected foot to move.
Find out more in The Successful Stroke Survivor book by Tom Balchin.
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#neuroplasticity #neurorehab #arnistrokerehab #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #arnistroke #strokesurvivorscan #strokeexercise #strokerehab
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

1 day ago

Who is The Successful Stroke Survivor book for? It is for stroke survivors. Depending on how long or hard you have been looking, you may have discovered that there had not yet been written a comprehensive book for stroke survivors to show you how (and why) to create your own highly effective home- based functional rehabilitation programme. I (Tom Balchin) have purposefully chosen a much more intimate, conversational style of writing than is commonly found when discussing such a serious topic as stroke, and I hope it reflects the encouraging, ‘no-nonsense’ way I speak with the stroke survivors I train. I also have illustrated it with quotes from inspirational current and historical successful people where relevant, when the memorable quotes attributed to each sum up in a few words a concept I want to relay. (Quote taken from the book).
www.strokesolutions.co.uk/.../successful-stroke.../
#neuroplasticity #neurorehab #arnistrokerehab #strokeexercise #strokesurvivorscan
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

1 day ago

Can you guess whose point of view about recovery after stroke this is??? Yes. It's our very own Tom Balchin. (Copied from The Successful Stroke Survivor book). See if you agree with him!
On reflection, I’m not sure if there is such a thing as a uniform public image of a stroke survivor. No doubt polling a few hundred people around the world would provide a rough answer but, whatever it is, you can bet that the image returned would not resemble the Olympian picture of health and fitness. So, compliments were nice because it was a confirmation of ‘job well done’.

But actually, my transformation was not done for anyone else but myself, as a matter of dire necessity, over a period of many years. This transformation, stemming from the urgency to function better, stands in contrast to the physical development of a bodybuilder who develops his or her physique as quickly as possible, largely for the critical approval of others and whose bedroom bedroom mirror is their best friend.

I aim for your transformation also to be a deeply personal, time-rich ‘rebuilding’, standing in contrast to a ‘look at me go’ type of effort, which seeks the endorsement of others and quick-fix answers.
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#neuroplasticity #neurorehab #arnistrokerehab #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #arnistroke #strokesurvivorscan #strokeexercise #strokerehab #ARNIstrokerehab
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

2 days ago

Mental toughness comes down to your habits. It’s about doing the things you know you’re supposed to do on a more consistent basis. It’s about your dedication to daily practice and your ability to stick to a schedule. It's not about stroke recovery but these principles can be applied to your ARNI exercises. What do you think?
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#neurorehab #strokesurvivors #arnistrokecharity #neuroplasticity #strokeexercise #arnistrokerehab
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

2 days ago

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..
www.strokesolutions.co.uk/.../had-a-stroke-now.../
#strokesurvivorscan #neuroplasticity #neurorehab #strokeexercise #strokerehab #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #neurorehabilitation #exerciseafterstroke #strokerecoveryexercises
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

2 days ago

Post-stroke depression is far more common than most people realise - even many stroke survivors who have it don't realise that so many other survivors have it too... it's really a horrible sequelae or after-effect...

One in three of us gets some form of depression within the first year and over the longer term it can get worse; a King’s College London study (the South London Stroke Register, following 6,600 survivors) found more than HALF of survivors develop depression at some point, with most starting within five years of the stroke.

I doubt the stats will have changed much positively since the Stroke Association’s 2019 survey of over 11,000 people which showed that 78% of survivors reported depression, anxiety, low confidence, mood swings or suicidal thoughts, and 16% reported suicidal thoughts. With around 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK, that’s a really massive number of people affected.

So what helps? Psychological therapy can sometimes help; a study of 7,597 UK survivors found a surprising 71% apparantly 'reliably improved' (at the time of questioning!) with NHS talking therapies . Antidepressants (SSRIs in particular) can help and may also aid physical recovery. We know exercise has been shown to cut post-stroke depression too (in one trial a three-month exercise programme dropped depression rates to 14% against 35% in those who didn’t do it). Staying active, getting your rehab done and keeping connected to other people are all ways forward..

What about you? Can I possibly ask you; have you been coping with low mood or depression since your stroke?
What helped you? Retraining? Medication? Or something else? Let us know please in the comments below...

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#ARNIStrokeRehab #StrokeRecovery #PostStrokeDepression #StrokeRehab #Neuroplasticity
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

2 days ago

Exercise: Going up steps.
For years, coaches have advised football players to do ‘stair-training’ to train the legs and test cardiovascular fitness. They understand that moving vertically against gravity yields an intense aerobic workout focusing on strengthening the lower body. We as stroke survivors can take our direction from this established practice.
Technique:
Locate the banister, and hold onto it with your good hand. Use the ‘good foot up to heaven’ rule. Place the good foot on the step normally and then lean your whole body slightly over to the good side. Pull your hip up and place your affected foot on the next step. If you have foot drop, your bad foot may well plantar flex at this point, and you may catch your toes on the lip of the stairs.
The key to the success is making sure that you learn to control the descent of the foot so that only three quarters of your foot is actually on the stair. This is all about proprioception; and the only way we have found to improve this is by repeated practice. The ball of your foot strikes the step itself and to prevent you simply falling back off again or sliding forward until you touch the back of the step, it is essential to keep moving once you have started, pulling yourself up by leaning forward into the steps, grasping the banister and almost hauling yourself up. Then simply transfer your whole weight through the bad foot once you are on it.
Find out more in The Successful Stroke Survivor book by Tom Balchin
www.arni.co.uk
#neuroplasticity #strokesurvivorscan #neurorehab #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #ARNIstrokerehab #strokerehab #strokeexercise
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ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery

3 days ago

We all know the journey after a stroke can be tough and often feels isolating once formal therapy ends. That's where an ARNI Instructor can make a monumental difference; they retrain people one-to-one, providing incredibly specific, functional and intensive exercise strategies designed exactly for a survivor's unique impairments and goals. ARNI isn't some kind of generic approach; it’s personal.🎯
This specialised one-to-one focus is evidenced to have amazing effects... research and real-world results consistently show that this kind of dedicated, long-term training helps survivors regain physical function, improve balance, increase strength in affected limbs, and significantly boost their confidence and independence! Studies have demonstrated that this targeted functional practice helps trigger neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself, leading to genuine, measurable recovery years after the initial stroke! 🌟
It helps survivors get out of a rut and back to doing things they thought were lost forever, like walking with more ease or using their affected hand more effectively. It’s all about empowering you to take control of your recovery journey and achieving those breakthroughs. 💖
If you're feeling stuck, remember there are experts like ARNI Instructors like Felicia (shown in pic) out there dedicated to helping you unlock your full potential...
www.arni.co.uk
#ARNIstrokerehab #StrokeSurvivor #OneToOneRehab #RecoveryJourney #Neuroplasticity #StrongerTogether #HopeAfterStroke
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