title: Hand and wrist strengthening exercises during rehabilitation of a patient with hereditary distal myopathy.
abstract: The effects of isometric and resistive strengthening exercises on myopathic distal muscles were examined by implementing a program of hand and wrist exercises during the rehabilitation of a patient with adult-onset hereditary distal myopathy. A 78-year-old man with this diagnosis for 18 years entered the hospital after a lumbar laminectomy and complete bedrest for seven weeks. After a three-week course of twice-daily Velcro board, therapeutic putty, and table-side isometric exercises, his hand and wrist manual muscle testing score, hand grasp and pinch strength, and nine-hole peg test times had all improved. In addition, the patient had moved from minimum-moderate assist in dressing and hygiene, and maximum assist in homemaking, to stand-by assist in both areas. The outcome demonstrates the feasibility and functional value of isometric and resistive strengthening exercises in muscles severely affected by a myopathic process.
authors.affiliation: Marianjoy Rehabilitation Center, Wheaton, IL.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Erwin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D008297:Male; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000502:physiology*