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Quick Assessments for Upper Extremity Spasticity

Vanessa Roberts, MS, OTR/L, CHT, CPAM

July 31, 2013

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Question

How would you recommend evaluating a patient for spasticity if you are only given 30 minutes of time for an evaluation?

 

Answer

I think a good place to start is the ArmA.  Our front desk staff hands them the paper to fill out with the self-report measures when they first arrive. I would also use the Fugl-Meyer, because it is meant for this.  Even if you are not as familiar with the Fugl Meyer, I think that it is worth the practice.  There is another webinar on OccupationalTherapy.com  that goes over the whole administration of the Fugl Meyer.  As I mentioned earlier, if you do it a couple of times, you can get the whole thing done in 25 minutes, adding the Modified Ashworth Scale in with the passive range of motion portion of the Fugl Meyer.  If I only had 30 minutes, that is how I would do it. 


vanessa roberts

Vanessa Roberts, MS, OTR/L, CHT, CPAM

Vanessa Roberts has been working as an Occupational Therapist in a busy outpatient clinic in Seattle, WA for the past six years. She recently earned her Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) designation in May, 2016. Vanessa has been published in a national magazine for primary care providers and has presented at national conferences on topics ranging from spasticity to program development. Vanessa founded and currently manages a rehabilitative yoga program inside the facility where she works.


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