Neurological Physiotherapy After a Stroke - Your Questions

I’ve recently returned home after a stroke. Do I need neurological physiotherapy every day, like I had in hospital, to continue recovering well?

Not exactly. You don’t need to see a physiotherapist every day, but doing some form of exercise daily is strongly recommended to help your recovery.

A neurological physiotherapist who has experience working with people after a stroke can assess you and advise which exercises are most appropriate for you to do each day. They don’t always need to carry out the exercises with you in person.

If you’re able to exercise independently, or with help from a family member, friend or carer, a physiotherapist can teach you what to do and review your progress as needed. This means you only need physio appointments as often as required to safely progress your programme.

People recover from stroke in very different ways. Some need more hands-on physical help, while others mainly need encouragement, reminders, or motivation. The amount of support available at home also varies greatly. Because of this, how often you should see a physiotherapist will depend on your individual needs and circumstances.

To find the right approach for you, we recommend starting with an initial assessment. All neurological appointments need to be booked on the phone calling us on 0208 202 8322. From there, the level and frequency of neurological physiotherapy can be agreed and adjusted over time. Most importantly, the right amount of physio is whatever helps you continue to make progress.

It’s been a while since my stroke, but I’m still doing the same exercises — what should I be doing now?

It would be beneficial to arrange a review with a neurological physiotherapist who has experience in stroke rehabilitation. All neurological appointments need to be booked on the phone calling us on 0208 202 8322. When an exercise programme stays the same for a long time, progress often plateaus as well.

If your aim is to maintain your current level of ability, continuing with the same exercises may be appropriate. However, if you want to see further improvement, your programme usually needs to be updated so it continues to challenge you in the right way.

A review physiotherapy appointment would begin by discussing what you’ve been doing so far, any changes you’ve noticed, and what you would like to achieve. The neurological physiotherapist would then assess how you move, including your strength and sensation, and—if relevant—your arm and hand function, balance, and walking. Standardised assessments may also be used to help measure progress and provide a useful comparison over time.

Following this assessment, your exercise programme would be adapted or revised. Any changes would be guided by your goals, the assessment findings, and practical considerations such as where and how you prefer to exercise.

Most importantly, an exercise programme needs to be meaningful, achievable, and motivating. When exercises are tailored to your goals and fit into your routine, you’re far more likely to stick with them and continue making progress.

If you would like to book a neurological physiotherapy appointment to help your stroke recovery please call us on 0208 202 8322.