Success Stories

MNC is just the best, from my initial phone call – which was friendly, reassuring, and knowledgeable – to the first appointment which is an assessment, on to starting my physio sessions I have found all the staff to be very friendly and the mood is always positive.

My health and abilities have improved rapidly, and I soon left behind any doubts as to whether I could succeed, I have improved a lot and MNC has made me feel I will recover. The physios are highly skilled and focus on exactly what I need as I progress through the stages of getting better and I actually feel invigorated and more able on the way out after each session. Although hard work is required to get better, the sessions are a lot of fun and uplifting, and I look forward to my frequent visits. I would and I do recommend MNC, and bless the guy who recommended them to me because they made a tremendous difference in my life and continue to do so.

My husband has been coming to MNC for the past 2 months since he suffered a devastating stroke which left him with right sided weakness, an inability to use his right arm and communication challenges.

He has improved significantly since he started being treated by Lynne and Tim and their colleagues at MNC. His standing, walking and overall alignment are much, much better, he is beginning to walk without a stick and is much more confident. There is a way to go but I am confident that with the ongoing support of all the team at MNC (including the office staff!) my husband will continue to go from strength to strength with his stroke recovery.

My therapist Jenisha is very pleasant and friendly and seems to me to be extremely knowledgeable. I am looking forward to making further progress with my recovery with her help.

Each visit, Claudio goes above and beyond to ensure Gregory’s session is filled with encouragement and pushes to improve and explain Gregory’s exercises, aims and outcomes.

I have a progressive neuromuscular condition and if it were not for the treatment I have had at MNC I do not think I would still be able to walk independently.

Whenever I am particularly unsteady when I come for my appointment, Funeeza seems to be able to zero in on exactly where the problem is and get it sorted during our session – she is very knowledgeable.

I am extremely grateful to MNC and in particular to Funeeza. Everyone is always very friendly and it makes each appointment a pleasant experience.

We feel that MNC is a vital resource in the community and far outweighs the service provided by the NHS which is stretched beyond its means. All staff are professional and dedicated to the treatment and care of their patients and actively encourage patients to do better.

I have been attending Manchester Neurotherapy Centre for 2 months now and I wish I had started sessions sooner!

All the reception and therapy staff I have encountered are so welcoming and are always smiling. It feels like everyone enjoys working there.

I feel that I am progressing well with my therapy thanks to the wonderful physiotherapist Jenisha who has enabled me to move parts of my body that have not moved well for almost 12 months. Jenisha is extremely knowledgeable, explaining what she is doing and the reason behind it. She is giving me so much confidence that I will be able to recover good function and achieve my goals.

I am still a work in progress but with the encouragement and knowledge of Jenisha and the therapy team, I am confident that my recovery will continue to improve.

I would highly recommend Manchester Neurotherapy Centre.

In May 2023 Maria Conyers came to MNC for an assessment with our Clinical Lead Tim Walton.

She felt it was time to concentrate on her health and rehabilitation to manage the effects of Cerebral Palsy. At the time she visited a number of specialist practices to see which she felt would be the best to meet her needs. This is what she said about her first impressions and experience of visiting MNC;

‘I had been searching for 12 years to find an appropriate rehabilitation centre and at last landed on this specialist clinic in Manchester. I brought along a very experienced OT friend who had been extremely worried about how dangerous my transfers were for a long time. I often landed on the floor and could not get up due to double replacement knee surgery. From the minute I met the head clinician I was struck by how focused he was straight away by examining my body whilst he was taking a careful medical history. I could tell by the way he was moving me around that he had a very precise and in-depth knowledge of how the body works. I should add at this point that I have owned a physio clinic myself for over 30 years and have worked with, both professionally and personally as a patient, literally dozens of physiotherapists. I have never met one that had the skill and intricate knowledge of how the smallest muscle in the body could have a chain effect on how the body moves and mobilises. He explained that a lot of my movement strategies were compensatory which in fact limited my ability to progress and change. It was recognised that despite having been an amateur dancer being able to dance an Argentine Tango and Viennese Waltz with choreographed exhibition dances, my body over 12 years had been getting slowly weaker and that coupled with the effects of gravity had contributed to my movement problems. At the end of that session of one and a half hours, I was in absolutely no doubt that this was the clinic that I needed to be with. I initially agreed to come for a 6 weeks daily schedule of rehab for their team to assess whether there was the possibility of improvement. At the end of six weeks, I was sitting up straight and no longer leaning down to the right like the hunchback of Notre Dame. My transfers were more confident and most importantly, safer. They were treating my agonising shoulders persistently, and the pain was therefore becoming less. I was obviously hopeful this would be the case, which is why I agreed to uproot myself to Manchester for a year to work with them and towards my goal.

We asked Maria if she would summarise her time with MNC;

‘I have now been attending 3 times a week for 9 months and my body has changed out of all recognition. I look taller and my whole frame no longer slants to the right. I have greater strength in my legs though obviously still room for improvement. Everybody says my transfers now look safe and causes me less physical effort. I have not fallen in 18 months. Recently in the middle of the night I slid to the floor but because of what I have been taught and shown I was able to get myself up and into my wheelchair. I have a great rapport with the staff and great respect for everyone in the team that has treated me. Their dedication and passion to their work is exemplary. I cannot speak more highly of the ethos of both this clinic and the individuals working in it. Currently, I am able to use a frame to walk about 6 steps, it is a struggle but it is a beginning. To be continued…’

Maria Conyers has worked for over 30 years as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in the NHS and private sector, specialising in loss adjustment and bereavement including terminal care. She has lectured internationally and within the UK to a cross section of medical/psychological staff. Maria is a member of the British Psychoanalytic Council and the BPF, she is also a senior accredited practitioner for the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and during the pandemic she worked to support ITU staff at all levels. In her private practice she continues to work with a wide variety of presentations including anxiety, depression, and personality disorder with particular emphasis on working with patients grappling with life altering medical conditions.

Maria is a published author and researcher. Her first novel ‘Sugar upon my Lemons’ has been a huge success and is now being adapted as a screenplay with the help of a BBC producer. She is currently working on her next novel due to be completed by Winter 2025

Above is a picture of Maria with 2 of her therapists, Tim and Bianca, showing off her amazing standing skills!

I sustained a brain injury in 2005 causing complete loss of control and balance of all movement. I was having neurophysiotherapy when I heard about MNC.

Following my initial assessment, I immediately started regular sessions with Lynne and LInzi. They are highly skilled therapists with extensive knowledge, experience and understanding of the brain and movement. Their hands on skills and handling enabled me to “feel” how I had adapted following my brain injury which no previous physiotherapist had achieved. This was phenomenal and key in my improvements and ongoing progression which still continues today.

I would highly recommend Lynne. LInzi and the whole team at MNC!!! They’re professional, very approachable, genuinely passionate and motivated to help you achieve your goals. They’re positive and supportive in their approach and sessions are always fun and stimulating. They explain everything clearly so that I am able to understand which really helps maintaining changes.
Truly privileged to be treated by such a wonderful team!

Janet was diagnosed with a Stage 4 Spinal Tumour in July 2021, which led to motor and sensory loss in both legs meaning she was no longer able to walk and was forced to move into her parents’ home so they could help take care of her and Janet’s 10 year old daughter Edie.

Janet started physiotherapy at MNC in January 2022, and she was determined to learn to walk again and regain as much independence as possible so she could fully engage in her parenting role. Janet wanted to teach her daughter to cook, and to do her daughters hair whilst stood. All the activities that were suddenly out of her reach due to the sudden nature of her diagnosis.

Peter suffered a stroke in January 2022 leaving him with no use of his right upper arm and weakness in his right leg causing him to drag this leg when walking. Understanding the importance of early intervention, on discharge, he arranged to come to MNC for an assessment.

In his words he “wanted to be a husband and father again, not a stroke victim”. As well as being devoted to his family, Peter has a passion for motor racing and one of his goals was to return to driving so he could not only go back to work but also be able to climb back into his racing car and continue the sport he loves.

Here is what Peter says about his time at MNC…

“The treatment was intense and unlike anything I have experienced before. I can’t explain the delight I felt when I saw a glimpse of movement in my hand. It is a hard road to recovery; fatigue is especially difficult to contend with but you have to keep pushing. I am now walking and have use of my right arm again and working on my fine motor skills. I have passed my driving assessment which is a big thing for me and this will enable me to return to work. I am delighted that I now have the ability to climb into my racing car so will be applying for my race license again shortly then there will be no stopping me!”

“My recovery would not have been possible without the support of my family and my physio at MNC, Bianca. Still more to do but I am not giving up.”

Find out more about how MNC treat a Stroke 》

I suffered a Haemorrhagic stroke in December 2017, aged 48. Although previously very fit and active the stroke left me with complete paralysis down my left side and hospitalised for several weeks.

It was clear that to maximise my potential for recovery I would need a prolonged period of intensive Physiotherapy and so after an initial period of NHS physiotherapy, I started treatment at MNC in March 2018.

At the time I was restricted to a wheelchair with significant pain from shoulder subluxation. The first few months were intensive with fantastic care from Tim and Lynn who both helped get me on my feet and start to improve my shoulder. Building on that early progress I then started regular weekly treatment with Claudio and for a time with Alessandro.

Dealing with life after a stroke can be incredibly difficult, both emotionally and physically. Intensive treatment can generate hope and positivity yet at the same time be crushing as you try constantly to do the little things that were previously taken for granted. For that reason, finding a Physio you trust to support you through that process and help you navigate the ups and downs is vital.

Most of my care has been with Claudio – his passion, skill, expertise combined with the huge effort he puts physically into each session have helped me realise significant improvement in both my strength and functional movement and is enabling me to reach my full potential for recovery.

I’m very pleased to recommend the whole MNC team. Without their support and expert help I wouldn’t be living the life I’m able to now.

Find out more about how MNC treat a Stroke 》

I started attending MNC after suffering a stroke in April 2022. which left me with right sided hemiplegia.

I heard about the clinic from my friend’s daughter who was a nurse and had highly recommended the clinic from past patient’s experiences.

I was feeling pretty low and my daughter arranged an appointment at my home for an assessment. I had, at that time, not been out of the house for four weeks since coming out of hospital. Then along came Jack Birss (Clinical Specialist in Neurological Physiotherapy). Immediately with his friendly professional approach asked me what I would like to achieve (I think from memory I wanted to have as much mobility as possible and be able to go on holiday with my fourteen grandchildren and their mums in August).

Then the programme of rehabilitation began.

Jack worked out a specific programme of exercises with his knowledge of neuroplasticity brain adaptation to help activate the muscles and create better ways of movement using a calm approach. It wasn’t easy and sometimes painful but the benefit has been really worth it. I attend the clinic one or two times a week and I now have normal leg movement and my arm and hand are the last piece of the jigsaw in my recovery. Sometimes Linzi Meadows, one of the Directors and Tim Walton, the Clinic Lead have been involved in the sessions. Jenisha has also helped out when free and they have all been wonderful.

From the moment I walk into MNC there is such a warm and friendly atmosphere as I am greeted by the office team Jen, Kayte or Sarah. Then Jack comes to collect me ready for the session, always with ‘Hello Sheila how are you today and how have you been’… from this moment I know I am in safe hands!

Jack, with my consent, has liaised with my GP by email and telephone regarding treatment and hospital referrals when necessary, which has been a great help. I commend Jack’s professionalism, superb service, support, treatment and care throughout. I know I would not be where I am today and cannot thank Jack and the team enough, they are brilliant.

P.S. I did go on the holiday in August and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Find out more about how MNC treat a Stroke 》