Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy

Constraint-Induced Movement therapy, or CI Therapy, is a family of treatments that teach the brain to “rewire” itself. CI Therapy is effective in children who have limited use of one side of their body due to diagnoses such as:

• Cerebral Palsy
• Stroke
• Head Injury
• Brachial Plexus Injury

Under the scientific direction of Dr. Edward Taub, our CI Therapy program is aimed at making improvements in both the quality of movement and amount of use of the affected arm and hand in 

activities of daily living. Children are scheduled for 2-3 weeks, for 30-45 minutes of therapy, depending on the results of screening prior to therapy.

How?

Each child is evaluated to identify needs and determine goals on the first day of the program. A removable fiberglass cast is made for the child to wear on the less affected side 24 hours daily for the entire time the child is participating in the program. Each day the child will participate in activities to improve:

• Use of arm, hand and fingers
• Skills to care for self (dressing, feeding, etc.)
• Strength
• Coordination

Who?

The staff: Occupational Therapists who have received extensive training in providing CI Therapy as well as years of experience working with children.

The children: Those who benefit most from this program are those who are limited in the use of one arm and hand, at least 2 years of age, able to follow directions and maintain attention for at least 15 minutes. Goals are more easily attained for children who have some use of their affected arm and hand at the beginning of the program.

The family: Family members/caregivers are expected to participate in the program in order to help their child continue to use his/her arm and hand in everyday activities.

Cost?

Insurance or Medicaid is billed directly for this program. Families are responsible for co-payments, deductibles and any portion of the program not covered by their policy.

Questions or more information: 205-638-6293