Effect of Modified Constraint Induced Movement Therapy on Upper Extremity Performance in Chronic Stroke Patients

Introduction: There are various techniques practiced in upper limb rehabilitation in stroke patients. One of the effective techniques is constraint induced movement therapy.But adherence to this intense protocol is difficult. So a shorter protocol, Modified constraint induced movement therapy (MCIMT) was introduced.

Objective: To study the effect of modified constraint induced movement therapy as an adjunct to conventional therapy on upper extremity performance in chronic stroke patients.

Methodology: After the ethics committee approval an informed consent was taken from the participants. 30 subjects, known cases of chronic stroke, out of which 15 were divided into the experimental group and the other 15 formed the control group. Experimental group received Modified constraint induced movement therapy along with conventional therapy. They were evaluated for motor function in terms of fugl Meyer scale and the wolf motor function test, functional use of affected upper extremity in ADL using the motor activity log.

Results: Experimental group showed statistically significant improvement in all outcome measures. Conclusion: Modified constraint induced movement therapy as an adjunct to conventional therapy was effective in improving the motor function and functional use of the affected upper extremity in chronic stroke patients.