Effect of Constrained Induced Movement Therapy on Functional Arm Reach Distance on Adult Hemiplegic Patients: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Stroke is an acute onset of neurological dysfunction due to an abnormal cerebral vascular circulation
with resulting signs and symptoms that corresponds to focal area of brain. The most common characteristics of
MCA stroke are contra lateral spastic hemiparesis, motor and sensory disturbance of face, motor weakness of upper
extremity and lower extremity with upper limb more affected than lower limb. Constraint induced movement
therapy (CIMT) involves ipsilesional limb restraint with training of paretic arm to overcome this learned disability
by restraining the unaffected extremity and training the affected extremity.
Aims and objectives of the study: To observe and analysis the effect of Constrained Induced Movement Therapy
on hand function of chronic stroke patients.
Data Analysis & Results: Shows that the pre and post intervention values of variable functional arm reach in
chronic stroke patients of this study. In that mean values of pre and post intervention of functional arm reach
were 19.0 cm and 23.0 cm respectively. Results of significance p value were p≤0.05 explained that after constrained
induced movement therapy intervention to the subjects the functional arm reach was improved statistically.
Conclusion: This study concluded that Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) shall have statistically
significant improvement on hand function of functional arm reach distance in adult hemiplegic patients.