Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT)
518-382-4569
Sunnyview is the only rehabilitation hospital in New York to offer a unique approach to stroke rehabilitation. Known as constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), this hands-on care combines physical and occupational therapy to stimulate the brain into "repairing its circuitry" so that people can regain increased function of their paralyzed limbs-even if the stroke happened years ago.
The rehabilitation involves using a restraint device to immobilize a patient's still-useful arm so that he or she is forced to use the paralyzed arm to complete familiar, detail-oriented tasks, such as turning pages on a book, throwing a ball, and opening and closing spring-operated clothespins.
A study in the June 2000 edition of Stroke: The Journal of the American Heart Association gained national media and consumer attention by revealing the results of a study from the University of Alabama Medical School and the Freidrich Schiller University of Jena in Germany. By intensively using the paralyzed limb, people can "rewire parts of their brains," the researchers note, thereby overcoming a kind of helplessness that had prevented their limbs from moving following strokes. Moreover, the technique works even for patients who had their strokes decades ago and have lived with limited use of their limbs every since.
The therapy only works, researchers say, if patients participate for a minimum of six hours a day for at least two weeks. In fact, when similarly intense therapy is offered only two or three days a week, the same researchers note, the brain does not undergo sufficient stimulation to repair itself.
Not everyone who has had a stroke can benefit from this therapy. Sunnyview staff carefully interview and evaluate potential CIMT candidates and make a determination about whether each patient might benefit from CIMT. Additionally, since CIMT involves six hours of intensive work daily from each patient, staff will assess each candidate's ability to withstand such an intense program.
"When I
first came to Sunnyview, I couldn't lift my left hand at all. My fingers
were basically useless. After just two weeks of this therapy, my hand
and fingers are able to work together again. It's hard work, but it's
been beneficial for me."
--Joe S., Essex, NY
"I can't
believe the difference this therapy has made for me. When I started, I
couldn't move my left arm at all. Now I'm working on fine motor skills-doing
puzzles and writing with my left hand. The therapists are patient and
exceptional. Without them, I would still be where I started after my stroke."
--Jim L., Saratoga Springs, NY
