Specialist neurological physiotherapist Louis Martinelli has spoken about the fruitful relationship he and colleagues have forged with researcher and academic James Faulkner.

Louis, who is based at Hobbs Rehabilitation’s Winchester clinic, said he and his colleagues had been ‘lucky enough’ to have collaborated with Professor Faulkner for more than eight years on numerous research projects.

Louis said a recently-published study that he co-authored with Professor Faulkner was the most meaningful one for him personally. The results of their randomised controlled trial appeared in a paper published by the journal PLOS One in February.

The latest study builds on the Help Hampshire programme, which started at the University of Winchester to provide exercise classes for people who recovering from a stroke. It revealed that that stroke sufferers who underwent home-based intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) therapy improved functional mobility, blood pressure, and physical activity levels compared to those who did not use the device.  

‘To be part of the [PLOS One] study from the very beginning and seeing it through to the very end has been extremely fulfilling’ [Louis Martinelli]

Participants in the trial were given GMove suits, which apply pressure to the low limbs to stimulate blood circulation and muscle activation. Suit manufacturers Winback donated their equipment free of charge for the trial. 

During the 12- week trial 15 of the 31 participants wore the suits while undertaking a series of set exercises for at least 30 minutes per day. Their first IPC therapy session took place at Hobbs Rehabilitation with a physiotherapist to ensure participants were confident in wearing the IPC devices and in undertaking the prescribed activities.  

Louis said: ‘I remember taking the initial call from Winback Medical (founders of the G-Move suit), before contacting Professor Faulkner with the idea. To be part of the study from the very beginning and seeing it through to the very end has been extremely fulfilling,’ Louis added.  

Role of Hobbs Rehabilitation

Professor Faulker is the first author of the study, which focused on the benefits for stroke patients of wearing compression suits as part of home exercise regimes. He is a professor of sport and exercise physiology at the University of Southampton, having recently switched posts from the University of Winchester.

His co-authors include Eloise Paine and Nick Hudson from the University of Winchester’s Department of Sport Allied Health Professions and Social Work, and Amy Dennis-Jones and neurological physiotherapist Helen Hobbs from Hobbs Rehabilitation. 

Helen set up the company with fellow physio Nicky Ellis in 2005, which now operates from various locations in the south of England, with inpatient, outpatient and community settings,

The research, in which researchers worked with staff from Hobbs Rehabilitation, found that stroke sufferers who underwent home-based intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) therapy improved functional mobility, blood pressure, and physical activity levels compared to those who did not use the device.  

Participants in the trial were received GMove suits, which apply pressure to the low limbs to stimulate blood circulation and muscle activation. Suit manufacturers Winback donated their equipment free of charge for the trial. 

During the 12- week trial, 15 of the 31 participants wore the suits while undertaking a series of set exercises for at least 30 minutes per day. 

Thereafter participants had regular face-to-face or phone discussions with a therapist to ensure they were using the IPC device properly and were experiencing no ill effects. 

All showed greater improvements in their mobility and blood pressure than the control group whose members performed their exercises unaided

Their first IPC therapy session took place at Hobbs Rehabilitation with a physiotherapist to ensure participants were confident in wearing the IPC devices and in undertaking the prescribed activities.  

To access the full version of the PLOS One article, which is titled The PLOS One paper is titled Effect of using home-based dynamic intermittent pneumatic compression therapy during periods of physical activity on functional and vascular health outcomes in chronic stroke: A randomized controlled clinical trial, see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0318942

To find out more about GMove suits, see: https://www.gmovesuit.com/en/

To find out more about the Help Hampshire programme, see: https://www.winchester.ac.uk/research/Our-impactful-research/Research-and-Knowledge-Exchange-in-Health-and-Wellbeing-/HELP-Hampshire-Stroke-Clinic/

Image: a study participant wears an IPC suit (image courtesy of Hobbs Rehabilitation).