You may have heard the term Constraint Induced Therapy (CIT) in a special-needs moms’ circle or during a therapy session with your child. Perhaps you’ve heard of its potential benefits in recent news stories. How much do you really know about CIT, and how do you determine if it’s right for your child?
Constraint Induced Therapy Defined
Pediatric Constraint Induced Movement Therapy or CIT is a type of treatment that teaches the brain to “rewire” itself following a brain injury. The focus is to restrict a child’s good extremity (arm, hand, leg, etc.) in order to force usage and improved function of the extremity needing rehabilitation. CIT often involves intensive training of the more-impaired extremity for a certain number of hours per day for a designated period of time. Children with a more severe level of spasticity or mobility impairment may require more daily hours of constraint and a longer period of intense therapy.
The CI Research Institute states that Constraint Induced Movement Therapy is the only rehabilitation technique shown to markedly change the organization of activity in the brain. Various studies have shown favorable outcomes suggesting that CIT may be a useful tool in the treatment of upper-extremity dysfunction in hemiplegic CP and other forms of CP.
Depending on the specific goals and level of achievement, it may take multiple sessions to realize the intended benefit. Remember, you’re re-training the brain!!! Be patient.
Is Your Child a Candidate?
CIT is not appropriate for every child with cerebral palsy. Talk with your pediatrician, therapists and orthopaedic specialist to discuss whether or not your child could achieve positive results from Constraint Induced Movement Therapy.
Your child will need to be monitored throughout the course of treatment to check for any complications. Discuss with your therapist what “trouble signs” you need to look for, such as chafing, rash or skin breakdown with the restrained limb. Check fingers and toes to make sure there’s no impediment of blood flow as a result of a cast or restraining device that is too tight.
Goals
Your therapist should have a Care Plan mapped out, detailing the specifics of your child’s therapy plan, including hours per day, additional therapies being implemented and the overall duration of the CIT sessions. Request a copy of the Plan. You may want to create a chart or journal tracking and annotating your child’s daily sessions. Detail the length of time the constraint device is used and what skills your childed work on during the session. Make notes of improvement and struggles. This will give the therapist a better picture of your child’s progress or need for additional assistance.
Coping Mechanisms
What is CIT like for a child? Here’s an analogy. If you’re right-handed, imagine someone casting that hand, forcing you to do everything with your left! Keep in mind, you probably have normal abilities and range of motion in your left hand. What if you didn’t? What if you had no good function in your left hand and now your right hand is immobilized! While adults you have the maturity and psychological skills to cope with frustration, many children do not. Couple that with a child’s immaturity and possibly an inability to communicate and you can imagine the reaction your child may have to this type of therapy.
There will be tears! Ask your therapist how to help your child establish coping mechanisms and ways to help your child get past the frustration. Make it fun! Incorporate play therapy in your CIT sessions! You want these sessions to be productive and fun, not a screaming match between you and your child. For children with developmental disability and cognitive delay, discuss with the therapist the best ways to introduce this therapy to your child.
For children with the cognitive skills to understand, have your therapist help you explain to your child the concept and goals of the therapy. Explain the number of hours per day the constraint session will last and try to set a schedule that everyone can agree with. Be sure to consider whether or not any of the constraint hours will overlap hours your child is in school. You may want to start out small and work up. Also try to schedule hours when you can play an active roll in your child’s session. Pediatric therapy based on stringency is unrealistic. You need to be consistent but flexible. There may be days when your child just isn’t being cooperative, and you find yourself skipping an hour here or a day there. Discuss with your therapist some ideas that will give you flexibility for the unexpected.
Conclusion
As with any new therapy, consult your child’s doctors and care providers before embarking on a treatment plan. Do your research and weigh the benefits and risks before deciding whether or not Constraint Induced Therapy is right for your child.
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