On May 19–20, 2025, Martina Šlachtová from the Department of Physiotherapy took part in an international Erasmus+ mobility at the Neuromove rehabilitation clinic in Amsterdam. The goal of this mobility was to establish a partnership for future internship placements for Master’s students of Physiotherapy. Neuromove, a clinic specializing in the treatment of neurological patients, offers a remarkable environment for the professional development of students interested in advanced neurorehabilitation approaches.
The Neuromove rehabilitation center focuses on patients with neurological impairments—particularly those with spinal cord injuries, post-traumatic or post-surgical brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. The clinic currently treats over 250 patients, with more than half of them living with spinal cord lesions.
One of the unique features of the Dutch healthcare system is the possibility of long-term rehabilitation without strict time limitations. This allows for the monitoring of patients’ functional progress over extended periods—sometimes even several years—which provides a valuable benefit for the clinical education of future physiotherapists.
The clinic employs an advanced therapeutic approach called Activity Based Therapy (ABT), which originated in the United States and has only recently been introduced in Europe. This method focuses on activating functions below the level of spinal cord injury and draws on the principles of neuroplasticity in the central nervous system. Thanks to this approach, some patients achieve verticalization or even regain the ability to walk—even in cases where such recovery would not normally be expected.
Based on the insights gained during this mobility, the Neuromove clinic can be considered a highly inspiring and professionally enriching environment for physiotherapy students with a keen interest in neurology. Due to the demanding nature of the methods used and the specific patient population, the internship is best suited for Master’s students who already possess advanced theoretical and practical skills.