from California is our best boy of the year (see photo). We are so proud of the way he is responding to ARNI-style training, and his loving parents and sisters (and dog!) have earned our great respect and admiration. Jake WILL succeed.
Stroke rehab in this country is critically underfunded and understaffed. And survivors are paying a very heavy price! 🧠💙 The UK government accepts it's failing many patients, and tries to point to a plan to roll out specialist stroke rehabilitation in people's homes so fewer survivors depend on hospital stays. What they mean, I think, is the Integrated Community Stroke Service (ICSS) model. But everyone knows it'll never happen properly.
The strong suggestion by the Labour government of a seamless, uniform 7-day home stroke rehabilitation across the. whole of the UK by around 2035 is so 'shady' that its pretty much resembles a Victorian city street at night. Personally I think it'll never happen. What do you think? ;)
This gap between what the NHS can offer and what survivors actually need is exactly where ARNI stroke rehab services try to help. We all know NHS therapy can be jolly good in spots (while it lasts), but as we also know, it stops once you hit a certain baseline, far before recovery has occurred, and for most of survivors that's LONG before they've reached their potential. Even the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (the professional, educational, and trade union body for UK physios), says community stroke services have, on average, 26% fewer physios than recommended, and that acute stroke teams are down 15%, which is leaving some people with disabilities that could have been avoided.
ARNI-trained instructors step into this gap, working with astonishing success with survivors in the community, one-to-one and at group sessions, on recovery of strength, action control, (balance, walking hand function etc) and the regain of independence again.
Find a specialist instructor near you now through ARNI Stroke Charity now. Call Us : 0203 053 0111 - and if you're not in the UK, we can still help via remote training and loads of excellent stroke rehab resources (how-to/sel#ARNIstrokerehabD#strokerecoveryw#StrokeRehabilitationk#strokesurvivore#PhysiotherapyRehabilitation #StrokeSurvivor #Physiotherapy
I’m a stroke survivor and volunteer in local hospital
It is. A whole big joke!
Personally, when I reflected on my 3 year stroke anniversary (stroke aged 28), I was pretty shocked to consider that I'm living with a brain disease and symptoms from a stroke, and have simply been offered SSRIs, prescribed aspirin, and told to go have a look and see what some charities can do for me. I was refused psychology services by a local health trust. No talking therapies offered. Just blood thinners and antidepressants. I buy the blood thinners myself, since it's only 75mg aspirin, rather than the public cost of ordering prescriptions. Just being treated on a watch and wait basis for the revascularization surgery that I will inevitably need to have a more regular life span, considering that I'm diagnosed with an incurable, progressive brain disease. Feels like I've fallen between the cracks. Also found out this week that my local stroke charity discharged me from their services in August 2024. I was led to believe that I'd been on a waiting list for counselling services since late 2023 - they told me this week by email that I was never referred, after I made an inquiry. That absolutely feels like being gaslit and treated as a number that gets ticked off their box due to being discharged from a stroke ward.
I agree they're so far behind treatment and aftercare and stroke is increasing..... But costs for private care are often inhibitory too. I believe many people can progress really well with the correct input - and that input isn't just photocopied exercises that are generic, it's about compassion, listening and more importantly *genuinely* caring and not just treating people clinically and acting as if Stroke is routine - it's f"£#ing not!
Evangelynne Heavenleigh Sarah Townsend Danny Whitaker Gabrielle Heavenleigh
My seven year old grandson had a brain stem stroke 6 weeks ago we were told he would not survive .we are being told rehab is 3-6 months waiting if he is even accepted 😭 he needs rehab now !
One of the most effective ways to improve numbness is through sensory reeducation. This involves repeatedly exposing the affected area to different types of stimulation to help the brain rebuild its understanding of touch.
Examples include:
- Gently rubbing different textures (soft cloth, rough fabric, sponge) on the skin
- Identifying objects without looking (like cutlery or keys)
- Alternating (carefully) between hot and cold sensations
Over time, these can help strengthen the brain’s ability to interpret sensory input more accurately.
www.arni.co.uk #neurorehab #strokeexercise #strokerehabilitation #strokerehab #strokerecovery #exerciseafterstroke #strokerecoveryexercises
I remember my little bag in hospital with a comb, feather , toothbrush and other bits in🙂
I still have my bag of random sensory re-education objects from inpatient neuro rehab with OT. all sorts of textures etc
Show me the double blind placebo controlled research for this.
Is this all university training or has it even worked for one stroke person throughout the world same crap repeated by stroke O.T.s PHYOS DOCTORS through out the world.
Amazing New Finding - Black people in England are having strokes YEARS earlier than their white counterparts. A new study shows us why. 🧠💙
The research from King's College London, published this week in the journal eClinicalMedicine, looked at 30 years of data from more than 8,500 adults on the South London Stroke Register, (is one of the longest-running stroke registers in the world) . And importantly, the SAME patterns in the register show up in diverse urban areas elsewhere around the world.
The headline figure is really stark; diabetes in Black African participants nearly doubled over 20 years, rising from 21% in 1995–2004 to 41% in 2015–2024. High blood pressure and diabetes are both more common and rising faster in Black African and Caribbean groups; diabetes is around twice as common in Black Caribbean and Black African participants as in white participants AND high blood pressure is 29% more common in Black Caribbean and 47% more common in Black African people.
Btw, a lot of these strokes come with no warning at ALL. 12% of strokes in Black African participants happened with no prior risk factor diagnosis, against 6% in white participants, so for many the stroke was the first sign anything was wrong. Related work from the same register, presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference this May, found Black African people have strokes around 10 to 12 years earlier than white people on average, and that Black African survivors had 34% lower odds of getting timely follow-up care.
Part of the problem is timing. NHS Health Checks screen for high blood pressure and diabetes, but they only start at 40, and obviously that's often too late for higher-risk groups who have strokes younger. Deprivation also adds to it; diabetes was 23% more common in people in manual jobs, like bus drivers, security guards and plumbers, than in non-manual ones.
ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery says: loads pf these strokes can be prevented if high blood pressure and diabetes are caught and treated early, so like Daniel Ganier, 29, pictured here, if this post applies to YOU, do ask your GP to check your blood pressure and blood sugar ASAP ;)!
www.arni.co.uk
Thanks for sharing this story
‘Seated marching’, is a difficult exercise because the task is to keep the affected foot returning to the same spot on the floor, parallel to your good foot, rather than extending away from it.
Have you tried this, or is it one of your exercises?
Do you find it easy?
If y ou need some help we have trainers t throughout the country. Call us on 0203 053 0111 or email support@arni.uk.com to find out if there's one near you.
www.arni.co.uk
#strokeexercise #strokerehab #strokerecovery #strokerehabilitation #exerciseafterstroke #neurorehab #strokerecoveryexercises
Challenge helps your brain get better. Challenge exists when you push yourself just beyond your current ability level. But not too much.
So go on. Challenge yourself today!
Not sure what to do? We have trainers throughout the country who can help you. Call us on 0203 053 0111 or email support@arni.uk.com to find out if there's one near you.
www.arni.co#ARNIstrokerehabr#neurorehabr#strokerehabr#arnistrokecharitya#strokerecoveryo#arnistroket#StrokeRehabilitationa#strokeexerciser#strokesurvivorscanrscan
Dr Tom signing a copy of the popular and comprehensive 'Successful Stroke Survivor' for Shamus, who's doing amazingly well in his rehabilitation. Btw, his new book 'Reality Stroke Rehab' will be published towards the end of the year - do look ou#ARNIstrokerehabn#NeuroRehabilitatione#strokerehabh#arnistrokecharitye#strokerecoveryk#arnistroket#StrokeRehabilitationo#strokeexercisei#stroken #strokeexercise #stroke
Me too!
Amazing, will look out for it xxx
Do you, or someone you know, want to become an ARNI Trainer? Cohort 2 of 2026 ARNI Instructor training starts on September 19, 2026 (remote or hybrid).
APPLY NOW!
arni.co.uk/instructors/specialist-accreditation-for-therapists-and-instructors/
#exerciseafterstroke #StrokeRehabilitation #strokerehab #strokeexercise #neurorehab #neuroplasticity #arniinstructortraining
Dr Tom told me: There's little doubt that teaching stroke survivors to get up from the floor may help to allay their fears and those of their carers. If a fall does occur, being able to rise independently or with a minimum of assistance may avoid ‘long lies’ and their consequences as well as give people the confidence to participate in society knowing that they can ‘help themselves’ if need be, wherever they are.
At ARNI, as he is showing on the mat here, many stroke survivors who come to train with our Instructors simply cannot, at first, figure out how to get get down to the floor and get up again, or do it badly, dangerously or plain wrongly. For example, many stroke survivors report that they are shown how to lower themselves into a ‘kneeling position’. Unfortunately this takes a lot of courage to perform without holding onto anything. And often, limitations caused by drop foot means that stroke survivors anticipate falling forward or into the ‘gap created’ on the good side. And so they don’t do it, either instinctively realising that it’s impossible, or they crash to the floor with one knee in the attempt to stay upright as they descend. There are lots of badly bruised knees out there!
Can you get down and up from the floor with confidence now, after stroke? Please let usknow!!
www.arni.co.uk
#arnistrokerehab #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab #arnistrokecharity #strokerecovery #arnistroke #strokerehabilitation #strokeexercise #stroke
.....but you still need to be able to use BOTH arms ......
No I still can’t
I taught my husband how to get up off the floor when he slumped off an armchair. He was in his 80’s. Useful to be able to do if you are alone.
Nice one my brother 🙏🙏🙏🙏💪
I was never shown....took me 5mths from it happening to me trying and even then my husband lowered me onto the floor. That fear and vulnerability and helplessness I felt was quite overwhelming - I cried. I can get up now but probably don't practice as much as I should daily
It's one of THE most crucial things that stroke patients should get shown if they are physically capable of some movement
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).
exercises like walking and swimming, which can be done with friends or family, 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 it’s a good idea to plan how you’re going to get it done by yourself at home.
www.arni.co.uk
#exerciseafterstroke #strokerecovery #strokeexercise #strokerehabilitation #neurorehab #strokerecoveryexercises #neuroplasticity #neurorehabilitation #strokerehab
Stroke at 29... and she now does stand-up comedy about it! 🎤 Molly Kinsey sounds like she's got the right stuff 🧠 She had a stroke in 2022, and she's taken to the stage to rebuild her life and confidence. Her act is about the chaos of raising her young son, and when she drops in that she's a stroke survivor, as she puts it: 'it's fun to be a bit daft about it, and I don't want people to feel sorry for me.'
What about you? Do you too like a laugh? Does it make life easier? (It does for me - Tom!) Molly says that she woke one morning where she lives in Exeter, totally blind in her left eye, and A&E first suspected a migraine until a scan confirmed a stroke, and revealed she'd had two earlier ones without realising.
The cause was a patent foramen ovale (a small hole in the heart that lets a clot reach the brain), since closed with surgery. It left her with memory problems, fatigue and eyesight difficulties, and for a long time she was depressed and convinced her dreams were over.
She'd always wanted to do stand-up but assumed the brain injury made it impossible: 'I told myself I'd never remember material, never be quick enough. Recently, I realised the only person stopping me was me.' On stage she works with the deficits: 'my brain just blanks out... I have to give myself a minute, it's like a computer where I turn myself off and on again.' She took a comedy course, has since played the Exeter Comedy Festival, and is booked for Penzance in October.
I've found research behind this, too; studies do link laughter to lower stress hormones, reduced pain, better mood and improved sociability... and that comedy has been found to help mental health recovery through connectedness, hope, identity and purpose. For a survivor rebuilding confidence and fighting isolation, I guess that making a room laugh does most of that at once.
ARNI Stroke Rehab & Recovery says: recovery isn't only physical, and confidence, identity and purpose are definitely as important as any exercise. What do you reckon? Do you too like a laugh? Does it make life easier? (It does for me - Tom!) ;0
www.arni.co.uk
#ARNIStrokeRehab #StrokeSurvivor #YoungStroke #StrokeRecovery #Comedy
Love this story, shows how being positive works.
I do I've some craic with myself about my stroke. X
Thanks for sharing, ive started comedy too
Amber Lee Siegel
