Rehabilitation Management of Friedreich Ataxia: Lower Extremity and Force-Control Variability and Gait Performance
By Harris-Love, Michael O.; Siegel, Karen Lohmann; Paul, Scott M.; Benson, Kimberly; Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 117-124Publication Date: June 2004
Paper describes the rehabilitation management process of a 14-year-old female with Friedreich Ataxia during a 12-month period. Rehabilitation interventions included task-oriented bimanual reaching activities, functional strength exercises, and gait training. Gait training from months one to nine was completed using a Rollator wheeled walker from Sunrise Medical, which has a standard braking system. The client’s physical status was assessed with the Nine-Hole Peg Test, single limb stance time, manual muscle testing, self-reported falls, isometric force control testing, and three-dimensional gait analysis in a motion-capture laboratory. The results of the measures yielded minimal changes, yet her gait speed decreased by 69.4 percent. The decrease was reduced in months 9 through 12 to 42.9 percent when her wheeled walker was replaced with a U-Step Walking Stabilizer (USWS) from In-Step Mobility Products, Incorporated. The USWS features a reverse-braking system and tension-controlled wheels. The device’s reverse-braking system allows the brakes to remain engaged until the user depresses the hand controls. The tension-controlled wheels provide the means to increase the resistance needed to roll the walker, thus facilitating consistent and controlled gait speed. The client’s gait remained significantly impaired, though use of the USWS did moderately improve her gait performance and rate of falls. Implications for further research are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: ROLLATOR JUNIOR (MODEL 39-1102) & ROLLATOR CHILD (MODEL 39-1103)
Published by: Sage Publications (Website:http://www.sagepub.com)
American Society of Neurorehabilitation (Web Site: http://www.asnr.com )
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J48168
