Neurological rehabilitation

Neurological rehabilitation is physiotherapy for a nervous system that has been injured or is changing. After a stroke, or with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis, or following a spinal cord or brain injury, the problem is not only the muscle. It is the signal reaching the muscle. Treating that well takes a physiotherapist who works in this field regularly, and it takes time.

More information

This is the part of Healthflex we are best known for locally, and it is the reason people travel to us from Godalming, Farnham, Petersfield and further. Very few private clinics in this catchment offer neurological rehabilitation at all. We treat at the clinic in Haslemere and, where getting to the clinic is the hard part, we treat at home.

What does neurological physiotherapy actually involve

It begins with a long assessment, because the picture is more complicated than a single sore joint. We look at strength, at tone and stiffness, at balance, at how you walk, at how safely you transfer in and out of a chair or a bed, and at what you want to be able to do that you cannot do at the moment. From that we build a programme of hands on treatment and specific exercise, and we adjust it as things change.

Is it worth starting a long time after the event

Often yes. The largest gains after a stroke tend to come in the first months, which is why we like to start early, but improvement does not stop at six months or at a year. NHS guidance and the NICE guideline on stroke rehabilitation both support continuing rehabilitation for as long as a person is still making progress towards their goals. Where the condition is progressive, as with Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis, the work is about maintaining function, confidence and independence for longer, and the evidence for exercise doing that is strong.

Can family be involved

Yes, and we encourage it. A great deal of neurological rehabilitation happens between appointments, and the person helping at home needs to know what they are doing and why. We will teach you, and we would rather you asked us too many questions than too few.

Care worker assists man with cane walking down bright hospital corridor
Man in red athletic top receives assisted shoulder stretch with blue resistance band from therapistOlder man with forearm crutches assisted by smiling female therapist in bright corridor

Frequently Asked Questions

What conditions does neurological physiotherapy help with?
We treat people after a stroke, and people living with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, acquired brain injury, and balance and falls problems. We also see people with less common neurological conditions, and if we are not the right service for you we will say so and help you find the one that is.
Is it too late to start rehabilitation after a stroke?
Usually not. Recovery is fastest in the early months, which is why we like to begin as soon as possible, but people continue to make gains well beyond the first year. NICE guidance supports continuing stroke rehabilitation for as long as a person is still progressing towards their goals.
Can you treat me at home?
Yes. Home visit appointments are available across the Haslemere area and are how we see many of our neurological patients, particularly where travelling to a clinic is itself the difficulty.
Do you work alongside my consultant or NHS team?
Yes. With your permission we will write to your consultant, GP or NHS therapy team so that everyone is working towards the same goals rather than pulling in different directions.