Rehab Glossary

Your complete guide to rehabilitation knowledge — condition articles, professional terminology, step-by-step tutorials, and the latest recovery news.

Disease Knowledge
Condition-specific guides written by our clinical team
Neurological Rehab
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Neurological Rehab

Understanding Stroke: Types, Risk Factors, and Recovery Timelines

A comprehensive guide to ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke — covering early warning signs, acute treatment, and what the first year of recovery looks like.

Neurological Rehab

Parkinson's Disease: Stages, Symptoms, and How Rehab Slows Progression

From diagnosis to advanced care, this guide explains the five stages of Parkinson's and the exercise and therapy interventions proven to maintain quality of life.

Neurological Rehab

Multiple Sclerosis Explained: Relapsing, Progressive, and Managing Daily Life

Types of MS, disease-modifying therapies, and the rehabilitation strategies that help patients maintain mobility, manage fatigue, and stay active through every stage.

Neurological Rehab

Traumatic Brain Injury: Severity Levels, Cognitive Effects, and Rehabilitation Goals

From mild concussion to severe TBI — the spectrum of brain injury presentations and the multidisciplinary rehab team that supports recovery at each level.

Neurological Rehab

Spinal Cord Injury: Complete vs Incomplete, ASIA Classification, and Recovery Potential

Understanding the ASIA Impairment Scale, neurological levels, and the rehabilitation approaches that maximise function after traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injuries.

Neurological Rehab

Epilepsy and Physical Rehabilitation: Safe Exercise, Seizure First Aid, and Daily Management

How people with epilepsy can safely participate in rehabilitation, what therapists need to know about seizure management, and lifestyle strategies to support neurological health.

Neurological Rehab

Dementia and Physical Activity: How Movement Preserves Cognitive and Functional Health

Aerobic exercise, cognitively engaging activities, and structured daily routines that slow cognitive decline and maintain independence in people living with dementia.

Neurological Rehab

Peripheral Neuropathy: Causes, Symptoms, and Rehabilitation Approaches

From diabetic neuropathy to chemotherapy-induced nerve damage — the physiotherapy and occupational therapy interventions that improve sensation, balance, and daily function.

Neurological Rehab

Guillain-Barré Syndrome: From Acute Paralysis to Full Rehabilitation Recovery

The ascending paralysis of GBS and the intensive rehabilitation — respiratory, motor, and functional — required to support recovery from this acute neurological condition.

Neurological Rehab

Cerebral Palsy Across the Lifespan: Childhood Rehab to Adult Care

How CP presentations evolve with age, the role of physiotherapy at each life stage, and the evidence for intensive early intervention in improving long-term motor outcomes.

Neurological Rehab

Vestibular Disorders: Dizziness, BPPV, and Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy

The Epley manoeuvre, gaze stabilisation exercises, and balance retraining that resolve BPPV and other vestibular conditions causing dizziness and fall risk.

Neurological Rehab

Concussion Management: Return-to-Activity Protocols and When to Seek Rehabilitation

The six-stage return-to-sport protocol, red flags that indicate complicated concussion, and the role of vestibular and neurological physiotherapy in persistent symptoms.

Rehab Glossary
Professional rehabilitation terminology explained in plain language
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Neuroplasticity
Also: Brain Plasticity
The brain's ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. In rehabilitation, neuroplasticity is the biological basis for motor relearning after stroke, TBI, or spinal cord injury. Intensive, task-specific practice drives neuroplastic change and underpins all neurological rehabilitation programmes.
NeurologyStrokeMotor Learning
Proprioception
Also: Kinaesthesia, Joint Position Sense
The body's ability to sense its own position, movement, and force in space without visual input. Proprioception is mediated by mechanoreceptors in muscles, tendons, and joint capsules. After ankle sprain, ACL injury, or stroke, proprioceptive retraining is a core rehabilitation goal to prevent re-injury and restore coordinated movement.
OrthopedicBalanceSports Rehab
Activities of Daily Living
ADL
The fundamental self-care tasks a person performs every day — including bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and transferring. ADLs are the primary outcome measure in occupational therapy. Instrumental ADLs (IADLs) include higher-level tasks like cooking, driving, and managing finances. Restoring ADL independence is the central goal of inpatient and community rehabilitation.
Occupational TherapyStrokeGeriatric
Range of Motion
ROM
The extent of movement of a joint measured in degrees using a goniometer. Active ROM is achieved by the patient using their own muscles; passive ROM is produced by a therapist or device without patient effort. ROM measurement is used to assess joint stiffness, track rehabilitation progress, and determine when surgery may be indicated for contractures or adhesive capsulitis.
PhysiotherapyOrthopedicAssessment
Tutorials
Step-by-step instructional videos from our clinical team
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Exercise RehabStrength

Theraband Resistance Training: 8 Exercises for Upper and Lower Limb Strengthening

12 minBeginner–Intermediate
NeurologicalGait Training

Gait Retraining After Stroke: Step-by-Step Walking Drills for Home Practice

18 minAll levels
Breathing TrainingCardiopulmonary

Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique: A Complete Guide for Rehabilitation Patients

8 minBeginner
Balance & CoordinationGeriatric

Progressive Balance Training: From Two-Leg Stance to Single-Leg Challenge

15 minIntermediate
PostpartumPelvic Floor

Pelvic Floor Activation: Finding, Contracting, and Releasing Correctly

10 minBeginner
ROM TrainingOrthopedic

Morning Mobility Routine: 10-Minute Joint Warm-Up for Rehabilitation Patients

11 minAll levels
Occupational TherapyHand Rehab

Fine Motor Retraining: Hand Exercises for Stroke and Brain Injury Recovery

14 minBeginner–Intermediate
LifestyleSpine Health

Desk Posture and Ergonomics: Preventing Neck and Back Pain During Recovery

9 minAll levels
Latest Articles & NEWS
Fresh from the Rehabza clinical team
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AI-Assisted Rehabilitation: How Machine Learning Is Personalising Recovery Programmes
News

AI-Assisted Rehabilitation: How Machine Learning Is Personalising Recovery Programmes

Wearable sensors, movement analysis algorithms, and adaptive exercise apps are transforming how physiotherapists track progress and adjust treatment in real time.

May 22, 2026
Aquatic Therapy for Neurological Rehabilitation: Water's Unique Therapeutic Properties
Articles

Aquatic Therapy for Neurological Rehabilitation: Water's Unique Therapeutic Properties

Buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, and turbulence create a uniquely supportive environment for neurological patients to practise movement with reduced fall risk.

May 16, 2026
Virtual Reality in Stroke Rehabilitation: Early Results from Multi-Centre Clinical Trials
News

Virtual Reality in Stroke Rehabilitation: Early Results from Multi-Centre Clinical Trials

Immersive VR environments significantly improve upper limb motor function and patient engagement compared to conventional physiotherapy alone in post-stroke care.

May 10, 2026