Before starting Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy, it was hard to remember to use my weaker hand for everyday things, but now I just use it without having to think about it. -Client Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) is a research-originated, behavioral approach to neurorehabilitation of limb function after neurologic damage. The intervention utilizes a combination of motor training elements and psychological concepts to facilitate increased use of the affected limb as well as improved movement quality and control. Importantly, CIMT is designed to achieve real-world improvements by behavioral methods which facilitate the incorporation of regained abilities into the persons' spontaneous behavior. Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy is composed of three primary elements: (1) repetitive, unilateral training procedures (e.g., shaping, task practice); (2) a set of behavioral techniques, termed the transfer package, that promote transfer of therapeutic gains to the life situation; and (3) constraint of the less-affected hand by one of several techniques. Evidence shows that CIMT improves functional use and occupational performance of the more affected upper extremity by reversing learned nonuse and facilitating use-dependent brain plasticity. © Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009.
