Physiotherapy
Neurological Physiotherapy in Brisbane
After a stroke, or living with Parkinsons, MS, cerebral palsy or a brain or spinal injury, movement has to be rebuilt rather than simply restored. That work is slower, more specific, and it does not stop being worthwhile.
Rebuilding movement after neurological change
Neurological physiotherapy works on a different principle to musculoskeletal rehab. The tissue is often not the problem. The problem is the signal, the coordination and the control, and those are retrained through high volumes of specific, repeated practice.
That means progress is measured differently. Sometimes it is walking further. Sometimes it is getting off the floor unassisted, or managing a transfer without a second person, or holding a cup without spilling it. All of those change what a day looks like.
It also means the plateau you may have been told about is often a plateau in the amount of practice, not in capacity. People well past the acute phase of a stroke frequently still improve when the volume and specificity of practice go up.
What we work with
Stroke
Walking, balance, upper limb function, transfers and the practical business of getting through a day at home.
Parkinsons disease
Gait, freezing, turning, posture, and the large-amplitude movement work that helps counter the shrinking of movement.
Multiple sclerosis
Managing fatigue alongside strength and balance, and pacing so a program is sustainable rather than exhausting.
Cerebral palsy
Function across the lifespan, including adults, whose needs are often less well served than children.
Brain and spinal injury
Rebuilding movement, strength and independence in the tasks that matter to the person.
Progressive conditions
Where the aim is maintaining function and independence for as long as possible, which is legitimate clinical work.
Common questions
Is it too late for me to improve?
Often not. The nervous system remains adaptable long after the acute phase, and improvements are regularly seen years on when practice becomes more specific and more frequent.
Can this happen at home?
Yes, and there are good reasons for it. Practising a transfer on your own bed, or walking on your own floor surfaces, transfers to real life far better than a clinic plinth.
How do Allied Health Assistants fit in?
Neurological rehabilitation depends on volume. An assistant can deliver the program more often at a lower hourly rate, under your physiotherapist direction. It is one of the clearest cases for using them.
Ready to get started?
Send a referral, or call and tell us where you are up to. We will be honest about what is realistic.