Using Video Conferencing to Screen a Patient's Appropriateness for Constraint Induced Movement Therapy
By White, Matthew W., OTR/L; RESNA 26th International Annual Conference 2003,Publication Date: 2003
Paper describes how a potential constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) client from American Samoa was screened via video conferencing. Constraint induced movement therapy involves employing a restrictive prosthetic to a stronger limb or extremity to force the client to utilize the weaker one. The therapy can yield significant gains of strength in the weaker limb or extremity. The client was a 59-year-old man who had a right cerebrovascular stroke in 1997, which resulted in left-sided weakness. He participated in a 30-minute teleclinic in December of 2001. During the screening, the client was asked to mimic the movements performed by the occupational therapist at Sister Kenny Institute (SKI) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The client mimicked the following active range of motion movements from a seated position: (1) shoulder flexion to 45 degrees, (2) shoulder abduction to 45 degrees, (3) elbow extension of 30 degrees, (4) wrist extension by 20 degrees, and (5) digit extension of each joint by 10 degrees. The client passed the CIMT inclusion criteria, which included the ability to follow simple one- to two-step commands, which are necessary when following the CIMT exercise program. The video component of the session was essential in observing the desired movements.
Published by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)
