Effectiveness of physiotherapeutic interventions in post-stroke functional recovery: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke is a cause of disability, associated with motor deficits, functional limitations, and reduced quality of life. Physiotherapy plays a role in rehabilitation and the recovery of independence. Objective: To describe the efficacy of physiotherapeutic interventions for patients with post-stroke motor and functional sequelae through a meta-analysis. Methods: The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and structured using the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) strategy. Searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature), and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), including randomized clinical trials published between 2021 and 2026. After removing duplicates and applying eligibility criteria, three studies were included, totaling 190 participants. Quantitative analysis used standardized mean differences and a random-effects model, and the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. Results: Physiotherapeutic interventions favored functional independence, motor function, and gait speed, with standardized mean differences of 1.32, 1.01, and 0.23, respectively. High heterogeneity was observed among the studies. Conclusion: Physiotherapy showed favorable effects on post-stroke functional recovery; however, high heterogeneity and the small number of included studies limit the precision of the findings. Randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes and methodological standardization are needed.