Implications for Research
This review has demonstrated that the limited evidence of benefit from stretching, passive exercises, and mobilization, when applied to the hemiplegic upper limb after stroke, merits further research. It remains unclear if any effects are the same if applied in the acute, subacute, and chronic stages of stroke rehabilitation. Given the methodological limitations of the existing studies, it is essential that further high-quality randomized trials investigating clearly-described hands-on interventions and current practice are carried out.