Stroke is the leading cause of acquired disability among adults in Italy. Functional recovery largely depends on the intensity and early start of rehabilitation. Home physiotherapy plays a fundamental role in maintaining progress achieved in hospital and continuing rehabilitation in the patient's real-life environment.
Principles of home neurorehabilitation
Neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to reorganise itself — is greatest in the first weeks after a stroke and continues for months. An intensive, targeted rehabilitation programme carried out in an environment meaningful to the patient makes the most of this window. The home physiotherapist works on mobility, balance, walking, upper limb function and activities of daily living.
The multidisciplinary team in post-stroke recovery
Post-stroke rehabilitation requires a multidisciplinary approach: a physiotherapist for movement, a speech and language therapist for language and swallowing disorders, an occupational therapist for independence in ADLs, a nurse for clinical management and monitoring, and a psychologist for emotional support.
Family involvement in recovery
The family plays a fundamental role in post-stroke recovery. Relatives are trained by the physiotherapist in correct techniques for assisting movement, so they can support the patient safely and therapeutically when the professional is absent.
📚 Scientific evidence
- Langhorne P. et al. (2011). Stroke rehabilitation. Lancet, 377(9778):1693-702.
- Veerbeek J.M. et al. (2014). What is the evidence for physical therapy poststroke? PLoS One, 9(2):e87987.
- ISS (2022). Linee guida italiane sull’ictus cerebrale. Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma.
