European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

EFFECTS OF CONSTRAINT INDUCED MOVEMENT THERAPY VERSUS CONVENTIONAL REHABILITATION ON REACH TO GRASP MOVEMENT AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE OF UPPER EXTREMITY ON PATIENTS AFTER STROKE. RCT.

Muhammad Saddam Shoaib, Ruha Zulfiqar, Arzanish Pria, Haleema Tariq, Mirza Usman Baig,
Muazzen Nasir, Muhammad Azhan Raza, Hafiz Muhammad Abu Bakar Azhar, Rabia Batool, Unzeela, Hira Khan, Hanna Nadeem, Dur-E-Shahwar, Muniba Zubair, Abeeha Naveed, Nazneen Fatima, Hassan Raza and *Sania Maqbool

ABSTRACT

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the application of constraint-induced movement therapy with an individual with upper-extremity hemiparesis within 3 months after sustaining a cerebrovascular accident (stroke). Such patients often fail to develop full potential use of their affected upper extremity, perhaps due to a “learned nonuse phenomenon.” On each weekday of the 15-day intervention period, the patient spent 6 hours being supervised while performing tasks using the paretic upper extremity. Pretreatment, post treatment, and 5-month follow-up outcome measures included the Wolf Motor Function Test. Methodology: Thirty-four patients who complete selection criteria were included to this study. Written informed consent were taken from every individual participating in this study before performing any physical examination. Patients were allocated into two equal groups. On 1st day pain was assessed by using Numeric pain scale and motor functioning by Wolf Motor Function Test. Group A treated with Constraint Induced Movement Therapy while Group B treated with Conventional Therapy Both groups also received conventional physical therapy that remained the same throughout the study. All conventional treatment exercises were given by researcher himself. Patients received heat pack for 10 minutes. Treatment frequency was 3 times a week. Duration of treatment was 3 weeks in both groups. Subjects were examined on 1st day, and by the end of 3th week. Results: The comparison of the pre- and post-treatment scores on the NPRS and WMFT for groups A and B demonstrated that CIMT was considerably effective in reducing pain and increasing functional activity in stroke patients. Conclusion: CIMT is more effective when combined with conventional treatment in management of stroke as compared to only use of conventional treatment.

Keywords: Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT), Stroke, Randomized Controlled Trial RCT.