Neurological physiotherapy a special branch of physiotherapy that involves working with those who have a neurological condition such as stroke, a brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease or a spinal cord injury.

These conditions result from an injury to the central nervous system, and affects the ability to move the arms, legs, or in some cases, the entire body. For those presenting with neurological condition, they may have difficulty, or the inability to walk, sit, stand, move and transfer.

This is where a neurological physiotherapist can step in.

A neurological physiotherapist will dedicate their time to improving their patient’s function by addressing their physical impairments and improving their activation and movement patterns.

Due to something called neuroplasticity, the brain has the ability to both lose and form new connections which means that following a neurological insult, a neurological physiotherapist can help a patient form new connections between their brain and muscles. This enables them to re-learn how to move their arms and legs, and therefore working toward achieving their functional goals.

A neurological physiotherapist will essentially rewire the brain to muscle connection by forming new synaptic pathways. There is also increasing evidence that neurological physiotherapist can assist in the case of neurodegenerative conditions.

Common impairments following a brain injury may include muscle spasms or tremors, muscle weakness, and a lack or loss of balance and coordination. A neurological physiotherapist will thoroughly assess their patient’s movement patterns and determine what pathway needs to be taken to ensure a holistic approach towards their management. They will work toward improving movement, function, and an overall quality of life. Emphasis is often placed on increasing the ability to participate in the community and their patient’s capacity for community accessibility.

Neurological physiotherapy will include a combination of hands on treatment as well as the prescription of home or gym exercise programs. Goal setting is a very important part of treatment and function will regularly be assessed along the way.