Article

The purpose of the study was to assess the value of combining occupational
therapy (OT) with physical therapy (PT) for the rehabilitation of complex
regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and to measure its effectiveness on activities of
daily life. Sixty patients with CRPS type 1 were recruited and interviewed
between September 1, 2014 and February 1, 2015. Thirty patients had undergone PT
and thirty had undergone PT+OT. They were administered the short-form of the
"Assessment of Life Habits" questionnaire (v.3.0 LIFE-H) created in Canada.
This questionnaire consists of 16 items exploring activities of daily living, which
were used to compare the effectiveness of the two rehabilitation protocols. The
results of each test were submitted to the Wilcoxon test. After confirming the
complexity of CRPS in terms of its etiology, clinical signs and progression,
rehabilitation was effective, especially for pain. The patients who received
PT+OT had on average 10% better dressing and undressing function, 25% better for
meal preparation, and 20% better on personal care than those who underwent PT
only. In CRPS, OT combined with PT brings a real benefit in restoring the
essential activities of daily life. This strategy could be implemented as soon
the diagnosis confirmed and continued for a very long time. It helps to avoid the
risk of dependence on third parties.
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Langue : ANGLAIS