Pain, fatigue, and intensity of practice in people with stroke who are receiving constraint-induced movement therapy

Abstract

Background and purpose: There is little available information about changes in pain and fatigue status among people receiving constraint-induced movement therapy (CI therapy). This study examined such changes.

Subjects: All participants were a subset of individuals with stroke enrolled in the Extremity Constraint-Induced Therapy Evaluation (EXCITE) trial and received 2 weeks of CI therapy either 3 to 9 months after stroke (subacute therapy group, n=18) or 1 year later (chronic therapy group, n=14).

Methods: Pain, fatigue, and intensity of therapy were evaluated. The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the pain scale of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the upper extremity were administered before and after training. Single-item measures for pain and fatigue were administered twice daily during therapy.

Results: All participants reported low mean pain (X=2.0, SD=0.93) and fatigue (X=2.7, SD=1.23) scores. Generally, differences between the subacute and the chronic therapy groups for pain, fatigue, intensity, and WMFT change scores were nonsignificant.

Discussion and conclusion: For selected patients with stroke, the intensive practice associated with CI therapy may be administered without exacerbation of pain or fatigue, even early during the recovery process.