Clinicians & therapists

Former Wales internationals have backed a new study into how repeated head impacts affect women’s rugby players. Cardiff University’s medical engineering team aims to create the first head impact assessment protocol designed specifically for female athletes. The study followed 30 players from the university’s women’s rugby team using specialised mouthguards, cognitive tests and MRI scans. [...]

By Ronda Boswell, neuro occupational therapist, Cognivate Rehab The way we perceive and process the world around us is fundamental to how we navigate our lives. Our sensory experiences - the sound of a busy office, the brightness of the sky or the feel of a familiar tool in our hands - form the backdrop [...]

By Henk Swanepoel, Cygnet Health Care neuropsychology lead When people think about rehabilitation following a brain injury or neurological condition, they often picture physiotherapy, occupational therapy or speech and language therapy. While these disciplines are essential, psychological support is just as important. Recovery is not only about regaining physical function; it is also about rebuilding [...]

By Shila Rundla, senior nurse trainer, Fairlie Healthcare Tracheostomy care can easily be viewed as a sequence of technical tasks - suctioning, stoma care, cuff pressure monitoring, tube management and emergency preparedness. When routines take over, the individual behind the tracheostomy can be overlooked. The challenge for specialist clinicians is to see beyond the task [...]

Music therapy with speech and language therapy may support communication in young children recovering from acquired brain injuries, new research suggests. The study examined how children aged two to six responded to joint therapy sessions delivered during inpatient neurorehabilitation.   Researchers identified three ways the combined approach supported communication development. Familiar songs encouraged [...]

Too many Parkinson's patients and others are missing life-saving medication or getting it late in overcrowded A&Es, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has warned. The RCEM shared findings on 3 June from its latest Quality Improvement Programme report. RCEM’s Quality Improvement Programmes aim to drive improvements in specific areas of practice within A&E [...]

A charity which supports hundreds of children with disabilities across the North East has extended its partnership with one of its longstanding supporters. Heel & Toe has worked with families across the region since 2008, delivering a range of therapies – including hydrotherapy and hippotherapy, which are unique offerings in the North East – to [...]

By Laura Gregory, clinical director, Traumaticus From your experience, what are the most common challenges clients face when rehabilitation services pause during seasonal breaks? Their mood may reduce further because they don't feel able to engage in the festivities or they don't want to take part because of what they are going through and there [...]

By the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability Among the many milestones achieved at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN), one that truly stands out is our Emerge! Art Exhibition. In 2012, the RHN received funding to renovate its Art Room, a vibrant, much-loved creative space used by patients, residents, families and staff. Managed by Art Technicians Sian Cook [...]

Sensory brain regions may drive speech relearning more than motor regions, with new research linking them to memory for newly learned speech movements. The findings challenge the assumption that speech motor learning and the memory of newly learned speech movements are primarily driven by motor regions of the brain. The study, published in [...]