New study reveals diversity of rehabilitation techniques in stroke patients in Catalonia

A new study carried out among 118 physiotherapists from all over Catalonia shows that there is no single 'conventional' physiotherapy model for stroke rehabilitation. Despite the existence of international clinical guidelines, each professional adapts a combination of techniques to the needs of the patient and the recovery phase. The research, led from Lleida, has recently been published in the Journal of Neurology.

The study promoted by the team of researchers from the Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy of the University of Lleida and the GRECS research group of the Institute of Biomedical Research of Lleida (IRBLleida) has analysed how stroke rehabilitation is approached in the territory. The results indicate that 57.6% of professionals do not follow a specific method but use a combination of methods, adjusting them according to the person and the moment of the recovery process.

The most commonly used techniques include task-oriented exercises, balance training and strength training, among others. In contrast, techniques such as music therapy, mindfulness or advanced technologies are much less used, often due to limited access or lack of specific training.

"Our aim was to understand what is really being done in rehabilitation centres and clinics in Catalonia, because we had no concrete data. We now see that the concept of "conventional physiotherapy" is too ambiguous," explain the study's first authors, Maria Masbernat-Almenara and Selma Peláez Hervás.

Given this variability, the researchers recommend that future scientific studies should clearly specify which techniques are included within conventional physiotherapy, to ensure a better comparison of results and a real transfer to clinical practice.

The research also involved the collaboration of professionals from the Rehabilitation Service of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, the Hospital Sociosanitari Mutuam Girona and the International University of Catalonia. This study has been registered at Clinicaltrials.gov with the code NCT05546840.

The project has been supported by the College of Physiotherapists of Catalonia and the GESEC research group of the University of Lleida.

Article: Maria Masbernat-Almenara, Selma Peláez Hervás, Helena Fernández-Lago, Samira Gonzalez-Hoelling, Carina Salgueiro, Rosa Cabanas-Valdés. Mapping Physiotherapy Approaches for Stroke Survivors in Catalonia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Rev. Neurol. 2025, 80(5), 37316. https://doi.org/10.31083/RN37316 (registering DOI)