Stroke rehabilitation in Birmingham

Having a stroke can be life-changing, impacting on your physical and mental health. It’s natural to worry about the effects your illness will have on your future function, wellbeing and lifestyle. At this challenging time, Circle Rehabilitation provides expert treatment and a calm, supportive environment in which to recover.

The demands of the pandemic on healthcare mean that you may be discharged before you feel confident about your health, physical fitness and ability to manage independently. Circle Rehabilitation provides bespoke treatment programmes designed for people recovering from serious medical incidents. Our highly skilled team works in partnership with you to build your fitness, optimise your function and restore your confidence. They will provide help and support every step of the way on your road to recovery.

A stroke occurs when a part of the brain is damaged either by lack of blood supply or bleeding.

In the UK one person suffers a new stroke every five minutes. More than 100,000 strokes happen each year in the UK alone. Stroke is a leading cause of disability and it can be life-changing.

There are two types of stroke:

• Caused by a blood clot blocking the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain (this is known as an ischaemic stroke)
• Caused by a blood vessel in the brain bursting and bleeding into and around the brain (this is known as a haemorrhagic stroke).

Roughly 85% of strokes are ischaemic, with the remaining 15% being haemorrhagic strokes.

Although the causes and treatment for the two different types of stroke may vary, both have similar symptoms and can result in similar life-altering consequences.

If you would like to know more about the available treatments, please continue to read on to learn about the treatments available and how your rehab following a stroke can be such a crucial factor in regaining your independence.

There are some things that may increase your risk of a stroke that you’re just not going to be able to change. These include (but aren’t limited to):

• Your age: if you’re over 65 years old, you’re more likely to have a stroke
• Ethnicity: risk of a stroke is higher for people of African, Caribbean or South Asian origin
• Family history: if someone in your family has previously experienced a stroke it may increase the likelihood of you having one

Causes of Ischaemic strokes

This is the most common type of stroke and is caused either by blood clots blocking the flow of an artery, which may have become narrowed due to fatty deposits, or by a blood clot ravelling to the brain from the heart.

The narrowing in an artery can occur naturally as a result of ageing but there are some known factors that can also contribute to it. These risk factors include:

• High blood pressure
• Being a regular smoker
• Having high cholesterol
• Being diabetic
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
• A clot can also form in the heart if you have a condition called atrial fibrillation, where your pulse would be irregular

Causes of haemorrhagic strokes

Also known as cerebral or intracranial haemorrhages, these are less common than ischaemic strokes.

The main cause is high blood pressure. Over time this can weaken the arteries in the brain, making them more prone to split or rupture.

High blood pressure can be caused by:

• Being a regular smoker
• A lack of exercise
• Being excessively overweight (obese)
• Drinking excess amounts of alcohol

Whatever the type of stroke you’ve had, at Circle Rehabilitation we are here to help you regain as much independence as you can, as quickly as possible.

If you think you (or somebody you know) may have had a stroke, you’ll want to check whether you have any of the following symptoms and warning signs:

• Do you have weakness or paralysis in one side of the body?
• Are your joints and limbs moving in a different way to normal?
• Do your limbs feel heavy or numb?
• Has your face drooped on one side, or are you unable to smile?
• Are you having difficulty with your posture and balance?
• Have you lost part of your vision or lost vision suddenly in one eye?

If you’re currently experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s extremely important to get medical help quickly. Even if your symptoms disappear it’s important to get an urgent medical assessment.

Stroke is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, and so prompt effective treatment is vital. There have been major advances in treatment for acute stoke in recent years, particularly for ischaemic strokes.

These treatments include injection of a clot busting agent to disperse the clot (intravenous thrombolysis) or removal of the clot by inserting a wire though your groin (thrombectomy).

The most important goal after having a stroke is to prevent another one. Risks of a recurrence are highest in the first year after a stroke and remain elevated for several years after that.

While some risk factors – such as age, race, sex and a family history of stroke – are uncontrollable, there are many areas where we can help you.

At Circle Rehabilitation Centre Stroke Clinic, our specialist team will talk you through the risk factors relevant to you and the ways you can manage them. Some will need specific treatment, but some you can try to reduce yourself, for example by:

• Stop smoking
• Start eating a healthier, lower cholesterol diet
• Become more active

If you have experienced a stroke, we know that it can be a cause of real concern and worry for you and those close to you, so we want to reassure you that we are here to help you through your stroke rehabilitation.

The outcome after a stroke depends on its severity and the area of the brain affected.

Although some people will recover quite quickly from a stroke, many more will find they need long-term support to help regain a level of independence. In fact, two thirds of stroke survivors are likely to have a degree of disability, usually with a combination of impairments.

For example, many people who’ve had a stroke find they experience changes with their:

• emotional state
• perception
• speech
• swallowing
• motor and sensory functions
• vision
• bladder and bowel control

If you’ve recently had a stroke and are finding yourself having challenges with any of the above, personalised, effective and focused stroke rehab can be a major factor in helping you to adjust, adapt and regain a level of independence for yourself.

That’s why we set up Circle Rehabilitation.

Our stroke rehabilitation centre in Birmingham provides world-class recovery programmes in a purpose-designed environment, with no waiting lists.

Our state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre was designed with just one aim in mind: to help people like you regain their independence following a stroke as quickly as possible.

We offer intense and personalised help with stroke recovery that goes far beyond what many rehabilitation centres can offer their patients.

Our highly specialised and experienced multidisciplinary team will work with you (and anyone who is helping to support you) to ensure you receive the level of help and support you need, all based on best practice and the latest research and medical knowledge in stroke rehabilitation.

Circle offers you full support in a comfortable, friendly and relaxed environment. When you visit with us, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the state-of-the-art facilities we offer and the luxurious environment you’ll be in. From the tasty and nutritious meals through to the spacious rooms available you’ll be well looked after from the moment you walk in the main entrance.

If you’re experiencing problems following a stroke, get in touch with us today to see how we can help you.

For a no-obligation chat about your options, or to book an initial assessment, call the Circle Rehabilitation team on 0121 820 5700 or email [email protected]

Once we’ve spoken with you, your case will be reviewed by one of our specialist neurological consultants who will be able to assess your requirements. We deal with all enquiries quickly, as we know how important your stroke rehabilitation is for you.

Circle Rehabilitation, Birmingham is ideally placed in the West Midlands for people in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Stoke, Shrewsbury, Worcester and beyond. 

We have people coming to us from all over the UK to benefit from the amazing level of care and support we can offer. You don’t have to be living near one of our Rehab Centres to benefit from our facilities, as we offer high quality on-site accommodation.

We’ll treat you as an individual, not a "hospital number"

Having visited with you (or talked with you on the phone), we’ll draw up a comprehensive plan for your stroke rehabilitation. This will be tailored specifically to you and based on your requirements and what the best possible treatment and rehabilitation therapy would be for you.

Your personalised treatment plan

At Circle Rehabilitation our team will devise an individual treatment plan for you, including up to three hours of personal therapy a day.

We offer state of the art stroke rehabilitation equipment, ample therapy space and care from a highly experienced team of therapists who are led by a rehabilitation consultant.

Your treatment plan is adjusted every day based on how you’re progressing. We measure your progress daily and can adapt the treatment plan as required.

We know that everyone is different and so we’ll make sure that your treatment plan is:

• tailored just for you
• based on up-to-date best practice knowledge
• reviewed daily to ensure you’re making the progress you should be

Early stroke rehabilitation is important

If you can begin stroke rehabilitation as soon as possible after a stroke (once clinical stability is achieved), it has been shown to lower the risk of further complications and to improve the chances of restoring function.

How long will my rehabilitation last?

The duration of stroke rehabilitation depends greatly on the nature and severity of the stroke itself.

Some sufferers can recover within a few weeks while others will need long-term rehabilitation over an extended period of time spanning several months. (As a guide, at Circle Rehabilitation we tend to have people stay with us for their stroke rehab for 4-6 weeks, although this does vary as everyone is different.)

Evidence-based treatment after stroke Our stroke rehabilitation is evidence-based Central European model to help accelerate recovery.

This European model of rehabilitation aims to provide treatment that is both cost-effective and tailored to an individual’s requirements, rather than being based on the “one-size-fits-all” approach that is sadly all too common nowadays because of pressures on healthcare resources.

We aim to alleviate the strain on acute hospitals (and the subsequent cost to the taxpayers) by providing specialised post-stroke rehabilitation using high-tech equipment and experienced multidisciplinary teams.

This rehabilitation model shifts the role of patients and their families from passive recipients of care to active participants and can enable patients to move back to an independent life as soon as possible.

• Practise the exercises your therapist has set you
• Keep to a routine of exercising at a regular time each day (remember, the more you do the better, so try to exercise every day or at least three times a week)
• Use a notebook to remind you what you need to do and record your progress
• Remember to involve and move your affected side as much as possible
• Be patient with yourself. You are aiming for long-term rather than immediate results
• Many people worry that being active might cause another stroke. This is very unlikely, but if you have any pain or are excessively breathless (getting a little out of breath is a good thing), then stop. If this does not subside after a short rest, then seek medical attention
• If you suffer from post-stroke fatigue, exercise can help but start slowly and build it up gradually. Choose a time of day to exercise when you are feeling relatively lively and recognise that you may need to rest afterwards
• Take steps to keep to a sensible weight
• Join an exercise group or stroke club to meet and be encouraged by other people
• Ask your physiotherapist about resuming sports and activities that you enjoy
• Try new activities that will help you to maintain or improve your recovery

Everything we do – whether with our state-of-the-art equipment and technology or through focused individual time with one of our physiotherapists – is directed to giving you back your independence as fully and as quickly as possible.

If you are struggling to regain your independence or confidence after a stroke, why not seek help from the very best specialists, in the very finest purpose-built rehabilitation centre and with the very best possible care?

Content reviewed by Circle in-house team in April 2022. Next review due April 2025.