Constraint induced movement therapy ("CI Therapy" or "CIMT") is a specialist form of treatment used in the rehabilitation of the upper limb (hand/arm) following neurological damage. This intensive therapy involves repetitive task practice using the weaker arm whilst the stronger arm is restrained in a lightweight cast over a number of weeks. Constraint induced movement therapy has been proven to increase functional use of a childs weaker arm.

Constraint induced movement therapy works by helping the person to overcome learned non-use and stimulating the development of new neural connections in the brain. Learned non-use develops as a result of the person learning to compensate for their weakness by using their stronger arm. With CIMT the person is repeatedly using their weaker arm during the treatment programme and as a result they develop more efficient movements and are more likely to use their hand in function.

Children with neurological weakness primarily affecting one upper limb (hemiplegia) can be considered for constraint induced movement therapy. Your child must have a certain amount of movement already in the hand in order to participate in the programme. Our specialist CIMT therapists will conduct a screening assessment before anyone undergoes CIMT to ensure they are suitable.

If your child is suitable for constraint induced movement therapy the programme will last between 3 and 5 weeks depending on the type of programme recommended by the specialist CIMT therapist. Clinic sessions are for 3 hours, 5 days a week.

Our CIMT programmes are carried out in our specialist clinic in Manchester

The cast is worn 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the duration of the CIMT programme. This is to allow for the changes to occur and consolidate in the brain.

The cast should not get wet so we will recommend parents purchase a cast protector prior to a programme. We will provide you with more details about this following the initial assessment and before a programme is booked.

The cast is light-weight and padded inside. It causes no physical harm to the child. Some children may get upset while the cast is being made, but we always find that children get used to the casts very quickly.

Occasionally there may be some skin irritation from the cast. This can be treated with a local cream. Casts are changed each week so that the arm can be washed and checked. There has been no detrimental effect on the stronger arm from being in the cast – no muscle wastage or loss of range of movement.

The majority of parents stay for the duration of every therapy session, while some leave their child with the therapists. It often depends on the child and how they best engage in therapy. The decision is made on an individual basis in discussion between the therapist and the parent. We are flexible with any arrangement.

This often depends on the amount of activity in the arm prior to starting a programme. Generally speaking the longer the programme, the more improvements can be made, however we must take into account a child’s tolerance of prolonged therapy and the logistics of attending a programme for the parents and family.

Your therapist may choose to use some of the programme to focus on bilateral (two handed) tasks towards the end of a programme without using the cast. A longer programme allows for more time to focus on this, however we still gain significant results from 3 weeks.

Generally we don’t have problems getting children to engage in therapy as we have a range of exciting toys and activities! We ensure that there are adequate rest breaks for both the child and therapist by tailoring activities accordingly. However it can be very tiring for the child and it is normal to expect periods where the child may need a break, especially if they are younger. We often schedule in snack breaks during the therapy session, which give the illusion of a break from activities but still provides an excellent opportunity to use the arm in function.

Studies have shown improvements have retained on 6 month and 1 year follow ups. Some children may experience a slight drop in the improvements made over time but this is dependent upon their age, ability and follow-up treatment. See how will CIMT help for more details but generally the more practice you put in at home post CIMT the better the improvements.

We use a mixture of outcome measures to track the progress of your child, including taking daily videos so that at the end of the programme you can go back and look at the gains and improvements your child has achieved. Our specialist therapists are trained to carry out the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) which is a thorough and detailed objective assessment that evaluates hand function in children with hemiplegia. The Paediatric Motor Activity Log is used to measure how well and how often your child uses their hand in everyday activities. Both of these outcome measures are used at the start of the programme to determine your child’s baseline function, and the end of the programme to determine their progress.

Following the completion of the programme, your therapist will produce a detailed report giving an overview of the programme, analysing and explaining the results, and providing recommendations for activities to work on for your child – these could be with their current therapy team, at school or at home. For this, you will be provided with a removable cast which is made on the last day of the programme.

You will then attend a six-month follow up in one of our clinics where your therapist will re-assess your child, make further suggestions on how to progress their therapy at home or at school, and make a new cast if they have out-grown the one made previously. We encourage parents to keep in touch with our team, so that we can continue to offer advice on future treatment.

At the end of each programme, our therapists provide extensive recommendations for activities to work on, to continue to progress your child’s arm and hand function. We frequently liaise with your own therapy team, whether it be private or NHS, to advise them on how to continue progressing your child’s CIMT treatment and maximise the benefits of the programme.

We encourage families who are thinking of trying CIMT to speak to families who have already experienced one or more programmes with us. We can provide you with details of families who have a child around the same age as yours, or a similar condition, with their permission. There is also a Facebook group for parents where potential families and families who have tried CIMT can discuss and offer each other support and advice.

All of our CIMT programmes are carried out with one individual at a time, alongside a therapist and therapy assistant. Your child will receive a programme fully tailored to their own personal needs and goals, which are discussed during the initial assessment.

As all of our programmes are individually tailored to your child specifically, we can adapt to any additional needs that your child may have. In the past, we have treated children with impaired vision, speech and language difficulties, learning difficulties, and children who are PEG fed. If your child has any additional needs please speak to one of our therapists who will be able to give advice and make sure that the appropriate equipment and space are available.

Constraint induced movement therapy ("CI Therapy" or "CIMT") is a specialist form of treatment used in the rehabilitation of the upper limb (hand/arm) following neurological damage. This intensive therapy involves repetitive task practice using the weaker arm whilst the stronger arm is restrained in either a mitt or lightweight removeable cast over a number of weeks. Constraint induced movement therapy has been proven to increase functional use of a childs weaker arm.

Constraint induced movement therapy works by helping the person to overcome learned non-use and stimulating the development of new neural connections in the brain. Learned non-use develops as a result of the person learning to compensate for their weakness by using their stronger arm. With CIMT the person is repeatedly using their weaker arm during the treatment programme and as a result they develop more efficient movements and are more likely to use their hand in function.

Adults with neurological weakness primarily affecting one upper limb (hemiplegia) can be considered for constraint induced movement therapy. They must have a certain amount of movement already in the hand in order to participate in the programme. Our specialist CIMT therapists will conduct a screening assessment before anyone undergoes CIMT to ensure they are suitable.

If you are suitable for constraint induced movement therapy the programme will last between 2 and 4 weeks depending on the type of programme recommended by the specialist CIMT therapist. Clinic sessions are for 3 hours, 5 days a week.

Our CIMT programmes are carried out in our specialist clinic in Manchester.

When undergoing constraint induced movement therapy the person wears the mitt or cast on the stronger arm during the treatment sessions and for agreed periods of time at home. Each person will have individual recommendations and a home diary to record time spent wearing the glove/mitt.

For adults the ideal amount of time is 90% of their waking hours throughout the programme, including weekends.

This often depends on the amount of activity in the arm prior to starting a programme. Generally speaking the longer the programme, the more improvements can be made, however we must take into account an individuals tolerance of prolonged therapy and the logistics of attending a programme.

Your therapist may choose to use some of the programme to focus on bilateral (two handed) tasks towards the end of a programme without using the mitt orcast. A longer programme allows for more time to focus on this, however we still gain significant results from 2 weeks.

Studies have shown improvements have retained on 6 month and 1 year follow ups. Some children may experience a slight drop in the improvements made over time but this is dependent upon their age, ability and follow-up treatment. See how will CIMT help for more details but generally the more practice you put in at home post CIMT the better the improvements.

We use a mixture of outcome measures to track the progress throughout the programme, including taking daily videos so that at the end of the programme you can go back and look at the gains and improvements you have achieved. Our specialist therapists are trained to carry out the Fugl Meyer assessment of sensorimotor recovery (FMA) which is a thorough and detailed objective assessment that evaluates hand function and sensation in adults with hemiplegia. The Motor Activity Log is used to measure how well and how often you use your hand in everyday activities. Both of these outcome measures are used at the start of the programme to determine baseline function, and the end of the programme to determine their progress.

Following the completion of the programme, your therapist will produce a detailed report giving an overview of the programme, analysing and explaining the results, and providing recommendations for activities to work on – these could be with their current therapy team or at home. For this, you will be provided with a mitt or removable cast which is made on the last day of the programme.

You will then attend a six-month follow up in one of our clinics where your therapist will re-assess,, make further suggestions on how to progress their therapy, and make a new cast if they have out-grown the one made previously. We encourage all patients to keep in touch with our team, so that we can continue to offer advice on future treatment.

At the end of each programme, our therapists provide extensive recommendations for activities to work on, to continue to progress the patients arm and hand function. We frequently liaise with your own therapy team, whether it be private or NHS, to advise them on how to continue progressing your CIMT treatment and maximise the benefits of the programme.

We encourage patients who are thinking of trying CIMT to speak to other patients who have already experienced one or more programmes with us. We can provide you with details of patients who have a similar condition, with their permission. We also have a Facebook group where potential patients and patients who have tried CIMT can discuss and offer each other support and advice.