Stroke is a common global health-care problem that is serious and disabling.

1 In high-income
countries, stroke is the third most common cause of death and is the main cause of acquired adult
disability.1,2 However, as most patients with stroke survive the initial injury, the biggest eff ect on
patients and families is usually through long-term impairment, limitation of activities (disability), and
reduced participation (handicap). The most common and widely recognised impairment caused by
stroke is motor impairment, which can be regarded as a loss or limitation of function in muscle
control or movement or a limitation in mobility.3

Motor impairment after stroke typically aff ects the control of movement of the face, arm, and leg
of one side of the body1 and aff ects about 80% of patients. Therefore, much of the focus of stroke
rehabilitation, and in particular the work of physiotherapists and occupational therapists, is on the
recovery of impaired movement and the associated functions. There seems to be a direct relation
between motor impairment and function; for example, independence in walking (function) has been
correlated with lower-limb strength (impairment).4 Therefore, the ultimate goal of therapy for
lower-limb motor impairment is to improve the function of walking and recovery of movement. In
this Review, motor impairment and its associated functional activities are regarded as part of a
continuum.