Hi Lian,
I’m sorry to hear about your father’s stroke and glad to hear that he is in rehab and recovering well.
Constraint-induced movement therapy (CMIT) is an evidence based therapy and it is effective for suitable patients. Patients who do CMIT can have improvements in the functional use of their affected arm. However, it is not the only evidence based option and it is not suitable for all people. A trained therapist should assess the patient for suitability and consider things such as whether the patient has the required amount of hand and arm movement to successfully participate in the program and whether they can participate safely. People who are at high risk of falling may have a reduced ability to steady themselves if they become unbalanced and their good arm is restrained in a mitt or sling.
Here is The Stroke Foundation’s podcast on neuroplasticity has information about CMIT and other evidence-based movement therapies.
Here is our fact sheet on upper limb management which includes some information on CMIT and other therapies.
There is also a form of constraint induced therapy used for speech therapy. There is currently research underway to see whether this is an effective treatment for communication impairments where thinking of the correct word is difficult (aphasia). For slurred speech (dysarthria), the speech therapist will give your father some exercises to do to strengthen the weak muscles in his face and mouth and also some strategies for making the sounds clearer. He will then have to practise saying certain words, phrases and sentences.
If you would like to discuss further or would like additional resources, please don’t hesitate to contact us on StrokeLine (1800 787 653 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).
Best Wishes,
Melita (StrokeLine)
Thanks heaps Melita. This is so helpful. My dad is in private rehab. Is there a Stroke Guideline of questions to ask medical and allied health professionals about my dad's rehabilitation? I have also read about participating in research - where is the best place to look for this info? Thanx so much for all the help and info.
Hi Lian,
You are very welcome!
Here are the websites where you can search for Australian clinical trials:
https://www.australianclinicaltrials.gov.au/
Here is the link for our fact sheets page which contains our Post Stroke Checklist: https://enableme.org.au/factsheets.
The Post-Stroke Checklist has been developed to help you talk to your healthcare team, acting as a prompt for common problems experienced by people post-stroke. Fill it out and take it with you to each visit and raise relevant questions with your appointments.
The fact sheet page also has a link for our booklet called My Stroke Journey. It has all the information you need immediately after a stroke. It explains the different types of stroke, and provides details about stroke treatment and care. My Stroke Journey also provides information about leaving hospital and the services and support available.
Our allied health professionals are also happy to chat to you about specifics on StrokeLine from Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
Kind regards,
Melita (StrokeLine)
Constraint induced therapy is best done in the first 2 years following a stroke .If thinking of doing it ask what training the therapist has had in CI therapy and how many clients they have used it on and what results they had.Constraint therapy isn't as simple as putting a glove on the good hand
I can definitely attest to the effectiveness of Constraint-induced Movement Therapy as my daughter is currently in the program. It's a four week program based in Manchester, UK and we have seen great results. I'm so grateful to have come across this therapy. I'm documenting her progress and daily sessions here: https://cvijourney.com
Hi Diana,
I'm so sorry I'm late in replying to you. I hadn't realized your message was waiting for me. You can certainly share my blog with the Facebook community—please go ahead. I have continued to update it since and it's up to date with fresh ideas and information. Pointing to the main URL would be just fine or directly to the CIMT category if you prefer that instead. https://www.cvijourney.com/category/cimt/
Thank you!
Cindy
I can definitely attest to the effectiveness of Constraint-induced Movement Therapy as my daughter is currently in the program. It's a four week program based in Manchester, UK and we have seen great results. I'm so grateful to have come across this therapy. I'm documenting her progress and daily sessions here: Cortical Visual Impairment Journey
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