What is Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) (also known as Constraint Induced Therapy (CIT))?
Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) was first developed by Dr. Edward Taub at the University of Alabama, Birmingham over 30 years ago. Since then, over 70 articles have been published in scientific journals on the topic. The articles have shown that CIMT is an effective technique for the recovery of movement in affected upper and lower extremities and speech. CIMT has been shown to be effective in treating the effects of stroke and other brain injuries. MRI and TMS imaging studies have shown that brain recovery (and therefore motor recovery) occurs both in the area previously damaged as well as other areas suggesting that the brain may be able to recruit other parts of the brain to function in place of the damaged area. There are minimal degrees of movement required for best results. To counteract the phenomenon of learned non-use, CIMT uses three principles: • Constraint of the unaffected extremity • Forced use on the part of the affected extremity • Massed practice CIMT client
