The development of a rational scientific knowledge base and its practical application are critical to the generation of effective clinical practice. In neurological physiotherapy, new theoretical concepts come from an increased understanding of pathological and adaptive processes and from the rapidly developing fields associated with human movement. An increased understanding of the structure, function and adaptability of muscle; motor performance and linked segment dynamics; the acquisition of skill; cognition-perception-action inter-relationships/links and the physiology of fitness, together with advances in our understanding of neural adaptability and its relationship to use and experience, should enable the development of more rational clinical methods.

The purpose of this book is to explicate the way in which the gap between science and clinical practice may be bridged in movement rehabilitation. The book sets out to emphasise the need for those who work in movement rehabilitation to develop their knowledge base and to utilise clinical methods which are grounded in the scientific understanding of the time and for which there is evidence of effectiveness in order to enable individuals with neural lesions to optimise their functional effectiveness.