Community neurological rehabilitation service
The community neurological rehabilitation service
The community neurological rehabilitation service provide support to people to manage long-term neurological conditions, and to live as independently as possible.
We aim to empower people to develop, recover or maintain their meaningful activities, independence and quality of life.
The community neurological rehabilitation service is available to adults (16+ and no longer at high school) who are registered with a Leeds GP. The team offer goal focused rehabilitation for adults with neurological conditions within a defined period of therapy (which we call your ‘episode of care’). This may include advice, therapy and treatment for a patient, and advice and support for their family, carers and other professionals. As goals are central to the work we do, we encourage clients to watch our goal video ‘The Importance of Goal Setting’ below.
Services are centred in Leeds working alongside existing health and social care services to provide coordinated, individualised patient centred care.
Our teams
- Community Neurological Rehabilitation team
- Community Neurological Discharge team
- Community Stroke team
Referrals
You can be referred into our team by a health care professional. All referrals are triaged by a clinician for suitability and priority.
Referrals can also be sent to lcht.communityneurologyservices@nhs.net
The community neurological rehabilitation service core hours are from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.
Conditions and useful links
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath covering nerves in the brain and spinal cord. It disrupts nerve signals, causing unpredictable symptoms like fatigue, vision loss, numbness, and mobility issues. While there is no cure, treatments can manage symptoms and slow disease progression.
- MS Trust website
- MS Society
- Brain Charity
- Shift MS
- MS Society: Early treatment
- Managing your MS (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust): They also have self management advice in written format on their website ( topics: fatigue, mobility, balance, spasticity, pain).
- Multiple Sclerosis videos (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust): UCLH videos on MS self management, the role of exercise, types of exercise, and high intensity interval training.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition causing brain damage over many years due to a lack of dopamine. Key symptoms include involuntary tremors, slow movement (bradykinesia), and rigid muscles. While no cure exists, treatments like levodopa, therapies, and surgery manage symptoms
- Parkinson’s UK
- Parkinson’s Care
- The Brain Charity
- Radboudumc: Walking with Parkinson
- Mark Wilson (pukleedsbranchnews@gmail.com) branch newsletter circulated with updated events and Leeds exercise groups.
Functional neurological disorder (FND is a common, often disabling condition where the brain has difficulty sending and receiving signals properly, akin to a software issue rather than structural “hardware” damage. It causes real, involuntary symptoms like paralysis, tremors, seizures, and gait issues. Treatment often involves multidisciplinary therapy to retrain the nervous system.
- FND Hope
- FND Action (UK charity for functional neurological disorder)
- Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) videos (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust): This trust has loads of videos on various topics I think we could learn a lot from their approach and use some of their videos.
Stroke is a medical emergency occurring when blood flow to the brain is blocked (ischaemic) or a blood vessel bursts (haemorrhagic), causing brain cells to die. Key symptoms include face drooping, arm weakness, and slurred speech (FAST). Immediate treatment, such as clot-busting medication or surgery, is critical to reduce brain damage. Recovery involves rehabilitation to regain lost functions.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is damage to the brain caused by an external physical force, such as a bump, blow, jolt, or piercing object, leading to temporary or permanent impairment. Symptoms range from mild (concussion) to severe, causing cognitive, physical, and emotional changes. Common causes include falls, vehicle accidents, and violence.
Acquired brain injury (ABI) is damage to the brain from external factors after birth, such as a fall, accident, stroke, infection, or substance abuse, causing cognitive, emotional, or behavioural changes. The ABI Alliance works to improve care for those with ABI.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent, non-progressive disorders affecting movement, muscle tone, and posture caused by damage to the developing brain, usually before or during birth. It causes lifelong physical limitations, such as stiff or shaky muscles, and may include associated issues like speech, vision, or learning challenges
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal, inherited neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, typically appearing between ages 30 to 50. It causes severe motor (involuntary movements/chorea), cognitive, and psychiatric decline. While no cure exists, treatments help manage symptoms, and patients usually live 15 to 20 years post-onset.
Cerebella ataxia is a neurological condition caused by damage to the cerebellum, the brain area controlling coordination and balance. It results in uncoordinated movements, including an unsteady gait, fine motor skill difficulties, and slurred speech. Causes range from genetic mutations, stroke, and tumors to infections or toxins. While rarely curable, treatments like physical and occupational therapy help manage symptoms.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a rare, neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive damage to brain cells, leading to severe issues with balance, movement, vision, speech, and swallowing. Often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease, it involves the accumulation of tau protein in the brain. There is no cure, but therapies manage symptoms.
A Spinal cord injury is damage to the bundle of nerves that runs down the middle of your back, which blocks or disrupts the brain’s messages to and from the rest of the body
- Northern Care Alliance stroke and neuro rehabilitation exercise videos: Exercise videos from Northern Care Alliance NHS trust
- NHS Tayside videos: Various information and exercise videos, not condition specific.
- NHS Lanarkshire Brain Injury Self-Management Programme: Mixture of written information with embedded videos
- SameYou resources: Information videos on various topics after a brain injury.
- Leeds Directory Falls prevention and management: Links to strength and balance groups, falls prevention info, and ability to search for groups in local area and filter by need.
- Upper Limb exercises: Variety of upper limb exercise videos, may not be aimed at neuro but could be appropriate.
- physio FES: Saebo exercise videos
- 5 minutes seated arm workout midday movement YouTube
- Seated core exercises for seniors and beginners Level 1
- Adapted Tai Chi part 1
- St Richard’s Hospice adapted Tai Chi, sitting
- 10 minute standing pilates full body workout (no equipment)
- Pilates for beginners: 10 minute gentle morning pilates
- 12 minutes standing morning pilates (wake up + feel energised, stretch + sweat, full body toning)
- 10 Minute functional strength workout for Hemiplegia
- 10 minute post-stroke rehab workout for better movement by Anthony Bryan
- 10 minute arm workout for Hemiplegia
- Beginner seated HIIT workout for seniors (low impact cardio for seniors) 10 mins
- Fun, low impact workout for total beginners
- 10 minute balance workout for seniors (more life health)
- 10 minute balance exercises: To do everyday for improved balance!
- 10 minute leg strength workout for stroke recovery by Anthony Bryan
- Tai Chi with Lee in Ribble garden session 1 Henshaw’s Specialist College (channel, youtube) “Tai Chi with Lee in ribble garden” sessions 1, 2 and 3– seated or standing adapted tai chi, run by specialist college physio
- Mirror therapy explained: exercise video with mirror therapy with explanation
