Physiotherapy after traumatic brain injury: a systematic review of the literature.

Primary objectives: At present there are no standardized recommendations concerning physiotherapy of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting in a high variability of methods and intensity. The aim of this literature review is to develop recommendations concerning physiotherapy in the post-acute phase after TBI on the basis of scientific evidence.Method: literature review: data bases: PubMed, PEDro, OT-Seeker, Cochrane and Cinahl. Keywords: brain injury (in PEDro, OT-Seeker, Cochrane), brain injury AND physical therapy (in PubMed and Cinahl).Results: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were grouped into sub-groups: sensory stimulation, therapy intensity, casting/splinting, exercise or aerobic training and functional skill training. While for sensory stimulation evidence could not be proven, a strong evidence exists that more intensive rehabilitation programmes lead to earlier functional abilities. The recommendation due to casting for the improvement of passive range of motion i...