Constraint induced movement therapy is intended to be a single block of treatment for an affected arm and hand that can significantly improve the amount and quality of movement, and transfer this into meaningful use of the arm in everyday life.
Children continue to grow and develop, and as they enter new phases of life the requirements of their upper limbs will constantly change. This is why your CIMT therapist will recommend activities to continue with beyond the programme, to build on the improvements gained and maximise the benefits of the treatment.
Occasionally it may be beneficial for a child to have a “top-up” period of CIMT, sometimes months or even years after the first programme. This is usually more common in very young children as the requirements of upper limbs change drastically in the first years of life and as they enter school age. A “top-up” programme would be shorter and less intensive than the original CIMT programme, and would be very individual to the child and their goals.
We encourage parents to keep in touch with our team (we always like to hear updates on the children we work with!) and can offer advice on future treatment. We can also provide a re-casting service to provide your child with new casts as they grow.
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For children we use non-removable casts over the full duration of the CIMT programme. This is because: If the cast can be removed, a child may divert their attention to removing it rather than focussing on their affected arm; For cortical reorganisation to occur, we need a concentrated period of time to work on the unaffected side. Evidence shows what’s needed is weeks rather than days.
Call us on 0330 223 0077 or email office@cimt.co.uk to speak to one of our specialist CIMT therapists.