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Constraint Induced Movement Therapy with Injuries other than CVA

Veronica T. Rowe, PhD, OTR/L, CBIST

May 29, 2013

Question

Can Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) be used with Injuries other than CVA?  For example, burns?

Answer

Yes, most definitely.  It is really appropriate for anyone who has that learned nonuse phenomenon.  The definition for "learned nonuse" is:

reluctance or unwillingness to use the involved limb, prompted by encouragement from clinicians and family to use the uninvolved limb resulting in learning how not to use the involved limb.  A learned suppression of movement.

Certainly in burns their arm and hand hurts.  It does not move as well, it does not function as well; so the person is going to tend to use the unaffected side, the unburned arm and hand more.  Yes you can certainly implement all of these principles mentioned to encourage and force use of that affected upper extremity.  Again "force use" is:

requiring a patient to predominantly or exclusively use the impaired upper extremity by immobilizing the less impaired, homologous limb during most waking hours.

However, most of the literature has been done in stroke research, neurological incidents, and in children with cerebral palsy.  


veronica t rowe

Veronica T. Rowe, PhD, OTR/L, CBIST

Dr. Veronica Rowe has over 24 years of experience as an occupational therapist, she has worked in various areas of adult and geriatric care including acute care, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, long term care, burns, hands, and psychiatric care, all areas with an emphasis in neurological disorders.  Prior to her work in academia, she spent her career in St. Louis, Missouri at St. Anthony’s Medical Center; Baltimore, Maryland at Johns Hopkins Bayview; and Atlanta, Georgia at Emory University.  She served as a project coordinator for numerous research studies at Emory University involving rehabilitation therapies for the neurologically compromised upper extremity, including constraint induced movement therapy, mental imagery, and use of robotic devices.  She has collaborated on several research studies involving task-specific training and neurorehabilitation assessment measures with the University of Southern California.  She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, and has presented nationally, internationally, and virtually for a wide variety of audiences.  She is also a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer. She has over 13 years of experience teaching in occupational therapy at the University of Central Arkansas and Georgia State University. She currently teaches and mentors research and neurological rehabilitation courses in occupational therapy.

 


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