Within neurophysical rehabilitation the focus of treatment is the physical symptoms that are associated with an acquired brain injury (ABI) or progressive neurological conditions (PNCs). However, alongside these physical symptoms there are also likely to be significant cognitive difficulties.

The brain is responsible for co-ordinating all purposeful movement in the body, as well as automatic functions such as breathing, respiration and swallowing. Neurophysical symptoms of an ABI or PNC can include:

• Breathing problems requiring tracheostomy or mechanical ventilation
• Changes in muscle function
• Reduced range of movement, i.e. spasticity, contractures paralysis or hemiplegia, spinal injury rehabilitation
• Co-ordination, posture and balance problems
• Reduced mobility
• Reduced exercise tolerance
• Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)
• Communication and speech problems (aphasia, dysarthria)
• Dystonia
• Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) – hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system resulting in, for example, increased heart rate, respiration and blood pressure
• Impaired levels of wakefulness
• Fatigue
• Sensory changes
• Epilepsy
• Continence problems

Severe ABI or PNC can lead to disorders of consciousness resulting in:

• Coma
• Locked in syndrome
• Vegetative state
• Minimally conscious state

Our services

Priory’s network of Brain Injury Services includes specialist neurophysical rehabilitation services and specialist care homes. Our neurophysical services can admit people with varying degrees of neurodisability. We are able to support service users with mechanical ventilation and complex tracheostomies, and those in a prolonged disorder of consciousness (vegetative or minimally conscious). We are also able to offer a service to people who require less medical and/or physical management; their primary needs may be dysphagia management or cognitive rehabilitation, for example. Programmes are tailored to individual needs, with the aim of Priory’s neurophysical rehabilitation services being to ensure that a person’s physical/medical status is optimised to allow them to be as independent as possible.

In some cases, people may require ongoing specialist care following their intensive rehabilitation programme. We can offer continuing care for individuals requiring long-term care in specialist nursing homes. As recommended by the BSRM guidelines (Specialist Nursing Home Care for People with Complex Neurological Disability: Guidance to Best Practice 2013), specialist nursing homes have younger residents with longer lengths of stay and higher staffing levels, more complex management protocols, and more specialist equipment than in standard nursing homes. Specialist nursing homes can offer support to service users with highly complex physical care needs (or severe and profound cognitive and/or behavioural needs).  

 Locations

The following locations specialise in physical rehabilitation for people with an ABI or PNC:

• Priory Highbank Centre
• Priory Mount Eveswell
• Priory Burton Park
• Priory Elm Park