World Stroke Day – 29 October
World Stroke Day, observed on 29 October, highlights the impact of stroke on individuals, families and communities, and the importance of access to evidence-based stroke rehabilitation.
A stroke can affect much more than movement. Depending on the area of the brain affected, people may experience changes in strength, sensation, vision, balance, coordination, cognition or communication. These changes can influence everyday activities, independence and confidence.
Because every stroke and recovery journey is different, rehabilitation needs to be individualised, goal-focused and coordinated across the appropriate healthcare team.
Why Is Balance Rehabilitation Important After a Stroke?
Stroke can disrupt the brain's ability to coordinate movement and integrate sensory information from vision, the vestibular system and proprioception—the body's awareness of its position and movement.
These changes may contribute to difficulties with standing, walking, changing direction, maintaining balance or performing everyday tasks safely.
For some people, these difficulties persist beyond the initial recovery period. A tailored rehabilitation approach may help address specific functional limitations and support participation in meaningful daily activities.
Rehabilitation should be guided by an appropriate clinical assessment, taking into account the person's abilities, stage of recovery, medical circumstances and individual goals.
How Coelevate May Support Stroke Rehabilitation
At Coelevate, we can contribute to the assessment and rehabilitation of selected persistent balance, sensorimotor and functional difficulties following stroke, where appropriate.
Our approach complements established stroke care and does not replace acute medical treatment, neurological follow-up or rehabilitation provided by physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists.
Depending on the person's presentation and needs, assessment and rehabilitation may include the following.
1. Objective Balance Assessment
Our BTrackS force-plate system measures postural sway, providing objective information about aspects of balance performance.
These measurements can help establish a baseline and monitor changes over time. Results are interpreted alongside clinical findings and functional performance rather than used in isolation.
2. Vestibular and Gaze-Stability Rehabilitation
Some people experience dizziness, visual instability or balance difficulties associated with vestibular or gaze-stability deficits.
Where assessment identifies a relevant impairment, appropriately prescribed vestibular rehabilitation may form part of an individualised programme. Suitability depends on the person's symptoms, clinical findings and broader rehabilitation needs.
3. Proprioceptive and Sensorimotor Retraining
Proprioception helps the brain interpret information about body position and movement. Stroke can affect how sensory information is processed and used to coordinate movement.
Targeted sensorimotor activities may help address identified difficulties with postural control, movement awareness and coordination as part of a broader rehabilitation plan.
4. Functional Movement Assessment
Measures of gait, transfers, strength and endurance can help assess physical capacity and identify areas requiring further attention.
Tracking these measures over time can help determine whether changes in physical performance are translating into meaningful improvements in everyday activities.
5. Individualised Balance and Dual-Task Training
Everyday activities often require people to balance while simultaneously thinking, talking or attending to their surroundings.
Where clinically appropriate and safe, graded balance and dual-task activities may be incorporated into rehabilitation to address specific functional challenges.
The level of challenge should be matched to the individual's abilities, with suitable support and supervision where required.
What Does the Research Say About Balance Rehabilitation After Stroke?
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Heart Association examined vestibular rehabilitation and dual-task training for balance and gait in stroke survivors.
The findings suggest that these approaches may improve aspects of balance and walking ability in selected stroke populations. However, outcomes depend on factors including the individual's impairments, rehabilitation programme and stage of recovery.
This reinforces the importance of selecting interventions based on assessment findings rather than applying the same programme to everyone.
Research into objective balance assessment, including the BTrackS system, also highlights the value of measuring postural control to support assessment and monitoring. However, a change in a balance measure does not automatically establish an improvement in overall independence or a reduction in falls.
A Goal-Focused Approach to Stroke Recovery
At Coelevate, our approach emphasises objective baseline assessment, targeted rehabilitation and reassessment.
The aim is to understand which aspects of balance, movement or sensorimotor function may benefit from intervention, then evaluate whether meaningful changes occur.
Importantly, progress is not defined by a test score alone. It also involves considering whether a person is becoming more capable and confident in activities that matter to them.
Stroke recovery is rarely one-dimensional. The best outcomes depend on appropriate, coordinated care that brings together the relevant healthcare professionals around the person's needs and goals.
At Coelevate, we aim to support the parts of recovery that help people move more confidently and participate more fully in everyday life.
If you or someone you care for is experiencing persistent balance or movement difficulties following a stroke, contact Coelevate to discuss whether an assessment may be appropriate.
References
Nairn B, Koohi N, Kaski D, Bamiou DE, Pavlou M. Impact of Vestibular Rehabilitation and Dual-Task Training on Balance and Gait in Survivors of Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2025;14. doi:10.1161/JAHA.124.040663.
Goble DJ, Baweja HS, Haworth JL. The Balance Tracking System (BTrackS) for Postural Control Assessment/Training – a Decade of Research. Medical Devices: Evidence and Research. 2025;18:579–593. doi:10.2147/MDER.S560337.
