Constraint Induced Movement Therapy and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation on Lower Limb Motor Function

Overview

Stroke, described as a neurological deficit caused by the interruption of cerebral blood flow, is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity throughout the world. It is the second most common medical condition and the major cause of disability in adults. Recovery following stroke revolves around the severity of sensory, motor, and cognitive impairments. Lower extremity impairment is one of the major post-stroke conditions which can cause difficulty in performing activities of daily living, gait abnormalities, increased risk of fall, and restriction in social participation. Rehabilitation after stroke is the primary mechanism through which it can achieve functional recovery and independence, which is based on the principles of motor learning and neuroplasticity.

There have been many rehabilitation techniques to treat post-stroke impairments. These include aerobic exercises, the Bobath approach, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), and mobilization and stimulation of neuromuscular tissue. The selection of techniques at the defined level of recovery varies among clinicians. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is a neurological rehabilitation technique that has been used in various neurological disorders including stroke both in acute and chronic stages, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury to improve motor function and strengthen weak muscles which are characterized by the restraint of the less affected extremity accompanied by the shaping and repetitive task-oriented training of more affected extremity. Proprioceptive facilitation (PNF) is one of the major therapeutic techniques aimed at enhancing the essential characteristics required for the functional ambulation of patients with hemiplegia, such as muscular control, strength, and flexibility. Changes in the excitation of the cortical motor area mediate this and the corresponding. Motor neurons. Previous researches are on the separate effect of CIMT and they have conducted PNF approaches, but there is no study available on the comparison of the effect of both techniques on lower limb function in stroke patients. Most of the studies administered PNF in combination with other approaches and the duration of intervention in these studies was in favor of CIMT groups compared to PNF. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the comparative effect of CIMT and PNF on lower limb recovery.