Reclaiming Movement: Recent Advances in Physiotherapy Management of Stroke Patients-A Review

Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide, often resulting in impaired motor function, balance, gait, and reduced independence. Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in promoting functional recovery through evidence-based rehabilitation strategies. This review summarizes recent advances in stroke physiotherapy, focusing on task-oriented training, robotic-assisted rehabilitation, virtual reality (VR), constraint-induced movement therapy, motor imagery, artificial intelligence, and telerehabilitation. Recent evidence indicates that high-intensity, repetitive, and task-specific training remains the foundation of effective stroke rehabilitation, while emerging technologies improve patient engagement, treatment precision, and access to rehabilitation services. Artificial intelligence and digital health tools further support personalized rehabilitation and remote monitoring. Although these innovations show promising outcomes, challenges such as high costs, limited long-term evidence, and unequal access continue to affect their widespread implementation. Overall, modern stroke rehabilitation is moving toward personalized, technology-assisted approaches that enhance functional recovery and quality of life. Further high-quality research is needed to establish standardized protocols and improve the clinical adoption of emerging rehabilitation technologies.