Abstract
Introduction: Prehension, the ability to grasp, hold and manipulate objects is an important hand function. Impairment in hand function makes it difficult to fulfill activities of daily living. Objectives: To assess the effect of forced use therapy (FUT) in improving hand function of hemiplegic cerebral palsy children. Outcome measures: Modified Ashworth scale, Fegl Meyer assessment upper extremity, 9-hole peg board, upper extremity functional index and caregiver functional use survey are the outcome measures. Method: Fifty two children with cerebral palsy were divided into 2 groups A and B, 26 subjects in each group. Group A was given conventional hand function exercise whilst group B was given forced hand use therapy. Both groups received the treatment for 45 minutes for the affected limb for 5 days a week. But the FUT group was administered with gloves to constraint the hand movement for 6 hours daily. They were administered with the protocol for 4 weeks and outcomes were measured pre- and post-treatment duration. Results: FUT showed significantly better improvement over the conventional group in outcome measures (p Conclusions: FUT caused reduction in spasticity and increased functional ability in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2020; 49(4): 335-340
Highlights
Prehension, the ability to grasp, hold and manipulate objects is an important hand function
The forced use therapy (FUT) group was administered with gloves to constraint the hand movement for 6 hours daily
FUT caused reduction in spasticity and increased functional ability in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy. 1Research Scholar, 2Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science, Holy Cross College, Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. *Correspondence: elanchezhianrehab@gmail.com orcid.org/ 0000-0002-5408-4030 (Received on 14 December 2019: Accepted after revision on 24 January 2020) The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest Personal funding was used for the project
Summary
Prehension, the ability to grasp, hold and manipulate objects is an important hand function. Impairment in hand function makes it difficult to fulfill activities of daily living. Cerebral palsy (CP) differs in clinical presentation and severity of impairment[1]. CP is the most common cause of childhood disability and is seen in 2–2.5 per 1,000 births[2]. Evolutionary thumb specialization as an opposing digit makes it vital in that it provides exceptional motor skills[4]. Affected kids can have thumb adduction and/or flexion with limited wrist extension, as well as more proximal abnormalities of upper limb tone, posture, and function affecting usage of hand[5]. Many daily activities require the hands to carry out various movements simultaneously in a coordinated manner[5]
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