Study shows success of new approach in stroke rehabilitation

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Hand and arm movement among stroke survivors is helped by new rehabilitation technique.
Up to 85 per cent of stroke survivors have partial paralysis affecting one side of the body which can result in some loss of mobility in the upper body. This problem can persist for many months. But a new rehabilitation technique can lead to significant improvement, according to a study from Emory University School of Medicine. They looked at constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) in a group of over 200 patients who received either this treatment or usual care.

CIMT involves restraining the less impaired extremity - arm or hand - which 'forces' the impaired one to do more work. The study showed significant improvement in the CIMT group compared to the controls. Those on CIMT were better able to perform routine tasks with the affected arm or hand after several months of the treatment. The researchers suggest that further study showing how CIMT might affect the nervous system should be done. In the meantime, the findings do suggest that recovery of function after a stroke is possible, using approaches like CIMT.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 1st November 2006 Volume 296 pages 2095-2104