Physical therapy for a patient through six stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
This case report describes the use of Sinaki and Mulder's approach to staging amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and functional outcome measures in designing a treatment program for a 59-year-old woman with ALS.


METHODS
As the patient progressed from stage I through stage VI, over 12 months, the physical therapy goals changed from optimizing remaining function, to maintaining functional mobility, and finally to maximizing quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Disease staging and the use of functional outcome measures provide a framework for physical therapy evaluation and treatment of patients with ALS throughout the disease process. Physical therapists can assist patients with ALS through the provision of education, psychological support, rehabilitation programs, and recommendations for appropriate equipment and community resources.
Dal Bello-Haas
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V
Department of Health Sciences, Cleveland State University, OH 44115, USA. v.dalbello-haas@popmail.csuohio.edu
Kloos
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AD
Mitsumoto
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H
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index