Driving after Stroke and other Neurological Conditions
Many of our clients have concerns about driving after stroke or with other neurological conditions. Some may have given up their licence due to their disability but now would love to drive again if it’s possible and safe to do so. For others who have never driven before, the concern is whether they can/should apply for a provisional licence. For some people this is very important because the ability to drive can have a hug impact in increasing independence.
At Leeds Bradford Physiotherapy we are pleased to help you explore and if possible, achieve your ambition of driving. We offer specific advice and individually tailored exercises to prepare you for driving and we can point you towards other services to help reach your goal. We work closely with Clarks Mobility, an Organisation with expertise in adapting vehicles to make driving accessible to people with upper and / or lower body disabilities. Some inexpensive kit can also be extremely helpful in practical aspects of driving and being able to get in and out of a car more easily. We provide advice and specific treatment to support clients who are both returning to or taking their first tentative steps towards learning to drive for the first time. We can also put you in touch with organisations who give on and off-road driving practice and assessments.
Case history
Following a severe stroke Des (name changed) received regular Physiotherapy treatment at our Practice. He made steady progress including regaining the ability to walk independently. However, one of his biggest regrets following his stroke was the loss of the ability to drive. So, as well as working on his walking and improving movement in his body and arm, specific exercises were introduced to improve his reaction times, his ability to turn his head and scan from side to side, and to independently get into and out of his car. We also supported Des to find a suitable driving instructor and he initially had off-road lessons. Unfortunately, he failed his first driving assessment. However, his story does not finish there, Des was determined to succeed and to his credit, after further physiotherapy directed at enhancing the physical skills required to drive, he passed his test and his licence was renewed. It was incredibly satisfying for us and for Des when he then drove himself along for his physiotherapy sessions!