Circle rehabilitation: Martin's story

Meet Martin Murray

Martin Murray is a 67-year-old avid gardener and football player from Birmingham. Since retiring, he has travelled the world with his wife, Nita, and spends as much quality time with his family and friends as possible.

In October 2022, Martin and Nita were on holiday in Portugal when Martin began shaking from head to toe and excessively sweating. Nita took him to A&E, where he was advised that he had a bug and needed to get back to the UK as quickly as possible.

After arriving in the UK, Martin was admitted to his local NHS Trust and diagnosed with streptococcus sanguinis, which is a form of bacteria that can enter your blood stream. Martin was informed that the bacteria had affected a valve in his heart and part of his brain, causing him to suffer a stroke. Martin was referred to ITU and transferred to another hospital within the trust for further treatment. He was fitted with a pacemaker and spent time on the critical care and cardiology ward. He had lost the use of his left arm and left leg following the stroke and fallen over several times due to lack of mobility.

Getting treatment at Circle Rehabilitation

Martin slowly started to regain movement in his left arm after the incident but had no movement or feeling in his left leg. His posture was poor, and he struggled to sit up and hold his own body weight.

His family visited Circle Rehabilitation and decided that this was the best place for him to recover. At Circle Rehabilitation, our specialist neurological rehabilitation team provides expert support and care to ease symptoms caused by neurological conditions such as a stroke, helping people regain mobility and recover as soon as possible. We understand that being diagnosed with neurological disease is distressing. Symptoms can affect your mobility, your coordination, and your ability to live independently. It can be difficult to know where to turn. At this challenging time, we provide expert treatment and care in a calm, supportive environment.

Upon arrival at Circle Rehabilitation, Martin was taken to his room on a stretcher. Over the next few days, he was introduced to his dedicated multidisciplinary team consisting of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and a dietician (to name a few). Martin was provided with a timetable, detailing his plan for the upcoming week. The timetable included two to three therapy sessions a week to help improve his mobility, balance, and strength.

Following four weeks as an inpatient, Martin had regained the ability to walk - even sometimes without crutches.

"I put all my trust in the people here at Circle Rehabilitation," says Martin. "They have given me the confidence to get better. Everyone here is very positive, from the cleaners to the therapists, to the catering staff - everyone goes above and beyond to praise me on how far I have come. I wouldn't be where I am now without this amazing team." 

Physiotherapy at Circle Rehabilitation

At Circle Rehabilitation, we offer customised physiotherapy services to help people regain strength and movement in their affected joints. Martin's physiotherapist Nick Lear explains his care regime for Martin and how it helped improve his condition dramatically:

"Initially, Martin was only able to walk a very short distance while using a walking frame. He had poor coordination when walking, so our focus was to improve his coordination with exercises in sitting, standing, and gait practice - improving the pattern of his walk - along with balance exercises. Martin's gait improved quickly with targeted exercises and using the Alter G treadmill.

"As his coordination improved, we introduced Martin to strength and balance exercises using variety of gym equipment and football-based games. Martin also successfully trialled the use of an elbow crutch and is now able to use this safely with no assistance or supervision, including when outdoors on walking on uneven surfaces.

"He now only uses the crutch for a short distance before his body eases and he can walk unaided independently. He has since successfully managed stairs with no issues at home, which is a huge step towards regaining independence and mobility."

Occupational therapy at Circle Rehabilitation

We also offer personalised occupational therapy services, which help people regain strength and mobility to return to their usual everyday lives after an accident or neurological incident, such as a stroke. Kelly Hiscox, Martin's occupational therapist, shares more about his recovery journey with occupational therapy:

"Martin was unable to stand to complete any of his day-to-day activities due to reduced balance when he first arrived with us. He told me that he was passionate about cooking and that he would always prepare dinner for his wife. It was his goal to return to this again.

"Martin started working on his balance when cooking with myself and his physiotherapist. He initially needed two people to stand with him when preparing cornflake cakes for his family on boxing day. Over the next few weeks, I challenged Martin more by gradually increasing the amount of time that he was standing while completing tasks in the kitchen, and he progressed to using one hand on the counter for support while completing a cooking task with his other hand and supervision from one person.

"Martin's balance and mobility progressed rapidly, along with his confidence, and he has now achieved the goal of being able to prepare entire meals while standing without support. He is also able to walk around the kitchen without an aid while preparing meals. He has been taught strategies that enable him to effectively manage his fatigue levels to ensure that he is safe whilst completing cooking tasks independently. He is also working on progressing his left-hand strength.

"Martin was a pleasure to work with. His motivation to continually improve and regain his independence is highly commendable."

Working with a dietician at Circle Rehabilitation

Martin also worked with a dietician at Circle Rehabilitation to follow a tailored diet to maintain his general health and build muscle mass, which he had lost due to being immobile after the stroke. His dietician Art Dhokia helped Martin follow a diet tailored to his needs.

"When Martin was admitted to Circle Rehabilitation, he had already spent a lot of time in a hospital bed and had lost so much of his muscle mass, especially in his legs," explains Arti. "He worked hard on increasing his protein intake with a bespoke diet plan written in conjunction with his myself, incorporating foods he enjoyed as well as some new healthy habits.

I reviewed the diet Martin followed prior to his stroke and advised him and his wife about changes they could make to reduce his risk in the future. Martin worked hard at his physical therapy, fuelling this with his tailored diet.

Food has always been important to Martin. He has always enjoyed his meals and is a great cook. During his time at Circle, he has got back into the kitchen with his team and has now restored his muscle mass and met his goals."

When describing how much his life has transformed since treatment, Martin says:

"My return home has largely been made possible by the preparations my wife made. I have only just got back into the garden with the wet weather but have walked six to 10 thousand steps per day. Nick, my physiotherapist, and Kelly, my occupational therapist, were both fantastic. I can't praise them enough. My healthcare assistants were also marvellous - all them definitely accelerated my recovery!"

Get in touch with Circle Rehabilitation today

If you'd like to know more about Circle Rehabilitation and the many rehabilitative services we offer led by a variety of specialists, please call us or book online today.