Constraint Induced Therapy Camp

Annie finished up her last week of summer school on Friday, as well as the first of a 3-week constraint induced therapy camp. The constraint induced therapy is described in this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constraint-induced_movement_therapy.

As many of you know, after her brain injury, Annie lost the use of both arms and hands. After months of intense therapy, she regained some use of her left arm and hand, but not the right. Both arms and hands are tactilely defensive, meaning that she doesn't like them to be touched, held, or otherwise messed with. We don't know why--could be that she has a "pins and needles" feeling, or some sort of neuropathy in them.

The goal of this constraint induced therapy is to "constrain" her good arm, so she is forced to use her not-so-good arm and hand and thus develop new neural pathways. After her first week of constraint therapy, she does seem to be more willing and able to swing at things with her right arm/hand, but only when prompted, and not with any dexterity in her fingers.

Now, on Friday when we took the cast off to check her arm, we discovered a bit of a sore spot on her forearm. So, we're going to hold off on recasting until that spot goes away, or we'll have to come up with a plan B to restrain her left arm.

Please pray that we have wisdom to know to do about the cast, that her sore spot heals quickly, and that she maintain the stamina to get the most benefit out of this 3 week/3 hour a day camp. Also, as you think of it, please pray that God heal her tactile defensiveness completely.

Thanks--and I'll post updates as she progresses through the camp.

Jean