At Anatomical Concepts, we look to other fields for insight and inspiration that we can bring to rehabilitation. For example, elite athletes like our rehabiliation clients will set training goals, undergo rigorous physical training and adhere to strict plans to achieve peak performance. This article explores the potential benefits of applying the principles of elite athlete training to help individuals recover from neurological conditions.

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) has been a widely used technology in rehabilitation for many decades. But did you recognise how FES can contribute to neuroplasticity. Varying the nature of the stimulation and how we apply it can have many effects and be an essential tool to facilitate constructive neuroplasticity when recovering from a stroke or other neurological condition. We know now that our nervous system remains "plastic" throughout our lives, and this fact has been a great source of hope for those recovering from a neurological insult. But what is neuroplasticity, and do we understand how to leverage it? In this article, we examine this topic and examine how FES can support neuroplasticity as part of physical rehabilitation that aims to recover function following a stroke or other neurological problem.

Explore the significance of stroke awareness, prevention and recovery as we commemorate World Stroke Day on October 29th. Learn about the signs of a stroke and embark on an inspiring journey into empowering neuroplasticity for rehabilitation followed by valuable insights into highly effective treatment techniques and a wealth of personalised resources designed to support stroke survivors on their individual path to recovery.

In the Bridging the Gap series we are making comparisons between strategies and ideas used in training for elite sport and seeing if they are relevant to rehabilitation. In this article we are looking at the natural “learning process” of neuroplasticity which is the source of much hope and effort in rehabilitation.
The exciting discovery, revealed in glimpses over the last century, that the nervous system is plastic and adaptable even in adulthood, is a source of great hope to people with a spinal cord injury and other disorders such as stroke. We now call this inherent ability of the body to adapt, neuroplasticity, and recognise that the central nervous system (CNS) can undergo structural and functional change in response to new experiences.

When thinking about this article I happened to be playing with a new AI (artificial intelligence), natural language, tool. There is a lot of buzz around AI (at the moment and it’s application to many sectors including healthcare. So I thought I would ask it a question - “What is neuroplasticity?”. The following is the answer I got - which I think is pretty impressive.