Neuro rehab experts on the realities of recovery

 In simplest terms; you're fucking screwed since your stroke medical 'professionals' HAVE NOT DONE THE HARD WORK OF CREATING PROTOCOLS THAT GET YOU 100% RECOVERED! They are complete failures at their jobs and need to be fired!

Everything mentioned here is just trying to justify their COMPLETE FUCKING FAILURE AT THEIR JOB!

And you are the beneficiary of that failure while still paying them for failure!

Neuro rehab experts on the realities of recovery

When a brain injury, stroke or neurological condition turns life upside down, patients and families often enter the rehabilitation process with a mixture of hope, fear and uncertainty.

They’re navigating unfamiliar medical terminology, adjusting to new limitations and trying to understand what recovery will actually look like.

We asked our members to share what they most wish patients and families understood when beginning this journey.

Here’s what they told us.

Dr Liz Acland, neuropsychologist, Cognivate

Living is rehabilitation.

Structured therapy sessions, repetitive practice of exercises and tasks, and monitoring of performance are often the expectations of rehabilitation.

Whilst all are significant components of the rehabilitation process, the interweave of this within an individual’s daily life and activities is critically important for optimum outcome.

Whilst it can be challenging to face the world after a brain injury, individuals should expect therapists to encourage them to identify valued activities which, with support, can be a focus for their rehabilitation.

Completing therapy within the social world around us offers a more enriched environment for neurorehabilitation, not to mention being a lot more enjoyable!

NeuroVirt

Recovery after a neurological injury is rarely linear – it’s full of small wins, plateaus, and moments where progress looks different from one day to the next.

What matters most is consistent practice and trusting that repetition, even when it feels slow, is building real change in the brain.

Families often play a vital role too. Encouragement, patience, and helping someone stay engaged can make a meaningful impact.

Neurorehabilitation isn’t about “getting back to normal” overnight, it’s about rebuilding function step by step, celebrating progress, and creating the conditions for long-term recovery.

Lyndsey Marie, clinical lead, Askham Rehab

I wish patients and families better understood that rehabilitation is rarely a linear journey.

Progress often happens in small, sometimes subtle steps, and setbacks are a normal part of recovery rather than a sign of failure.

Setting clear, realistic expectations from the very start is crucial. It helps everyone understand what’s achievable, how long it may take and what effort is required.

Open communication and trust in the clinical team make the process far more effective.

Emotional adjustment is just as significant as physical recovery, and when families recognise this, they can offer steadier support and strengthen overall outcomes

Nick Berners-Price, managing director, 4D Life.

The part of the message so often missed is that there are many elements that can contribute. Current treatment almost always focuses on a one dimensional approach and some symptom mitigation. A multidimensional approach almost always leads to better outcomes. Using Parkinson’s as an example: medication + exercise + nutrition, etc.

New research published in the Lancet provides us with the strongest evidence yet that this is the most effective path to take: thelancet.com/journals.

You can hear Professor Bas Bloem talking about the importance of the aproach here: amazon.co.uk/podcasts

The 4D Life Parkinson’s Programme covers the areas outside of medication where there is evidence for a benefit, in a step-by-step, easy to follow format: 4dlife.org

Valerie S, brain injury case manager, SweetTree Home Care Services

All the doors seem to close on you after a brain injury.

It takes all the resilience you can possibly build, and a bit of luck finding the right people or organisations, to help you open new doors.

One client shared this with us, after suffering her TBI several years ago. She describes that her resilience was created one day at a time and that some days are better than others.

As a brain injury is a hidden condition, she describes, finding an organisation filled with people who understand you can make all the difference.

Pieter du Toit, clinical director, Brainkind

I see our role as helping patients and families appreciate that rehabilitation is something that takes time, through consistency, repetition, and steady routines, over what can feel like a long and uncertain stretch.

Change takes time, and this shared endeavour reshapes all of us along the way.

To support someone in rebuilding their abilities, goals, and identity, we also need to care for ourselves and for each other.

In many ways, rehabilitation is like tending a garden together: progress comes from patience, shared effort, and returning to our values and compassion for one another when the work feels hard.

That’s how recovery takes root and lasts.