Constraint therapy

MaxandRuby

DS2's neuro brought up constraint therapy at our appointment this past week.  It was more in response to my question of if there are any ways to get more use out of DS2's left arm/hand.  For those new or don't remember, DS2 is almost 4.5 with spastic quad CP (legs are worse then arms, left side is worse then right side, I think his left arm is the most affected of all limbs).  Now he does use it somewhat functionally as he can hold things with 2 hands, he can get it to midline but not cross it, he can raise his left arm about 3/4 the height of the right arm, he can grab with it (although still the raking grasp), etc.  He will spontaneously use his left arm if an object is pretty far on the left side (as in, too far on the left for the right hand to get it).  He still fists the hand, especially if unstable, but he can fully open that hand as well. If you lightly constrain his right arm he will automatically use his left arm.  The neuro said the hospital here (Vanderbilt/Monroe Carol Children's Hospital) does it and he thought for 2wk increments.  He suggested if we did it, to do it this summer for 2wk and get botox in his left arm and hand 3wk prior to the constraint therapy as he thought we would see the most improvement with a combo.  I have not made a decision on whether to do this or not. 

Has anyone done constraint therapy? If so, what was your constraint therapy and what were the results? Would you do it again?

MaxandRuby

Yep. I am about an hour outside of Nashville.  :-)