Cycling to Success at Ann Marie Howes Centre
Thanks to a donation from Newton Consulting Ltd and fundraising by the team at Ann Marie Howes Centre, BCHC Charity were able to provide a THERA-Trainer therapy bike to empower patients at the centre on their recovery journey.
Ann Marie Howes centre is a 32-bed inpatient unit for adults to attend for a short period of rehabilitation after illness or injury. A multi-disciplinary team assesses patients and helps them identify rehabilitation goals, and therapy assistants and healthcare assistants support patients by encouraging independence throughout the day and night.
Staff at the centre felt there was a lack of exercise facilities available and, having heard about the THERA-Trainer bike provided by the charity for Moseley Hall Hospital, thought the equipment would be beneficial to their patients. Staff at Moseley Hall reported that the bike had helped their patients to achieve rehabilitation goals more quickly, so Ann Marie Howes staff approached the charity with the idea to enhance their rehabilitation offer by purchasing a THERA-Trainer bike.
The THERA Trainer bike is a training device using cyclical movement to actively and/or passively mobilise patients' arms and legs to help redevelop muscles, restore motion to joints, and improve the cardiovascular function. Deepa Abraham, Senior Physiotherapist at the centre, said, “The patients benefit from this equipment to improve their range of movement, muscle strength, and cardio function, in order to optimise their potential and return to their usual level of fitness and motion.”
The bike allows a wide range of patients to be active in between their regular physiotherapy sessions, as the charity also funded a stabiliser for wheelchair users to be able to use the equipment. One patient said, “The THERA bike has a positive impact on me, as it allows me to stay active despite my injury, helping me rebuild muscle strength and regain my independence."