Premium
Treatment approaches for clients with a stroke‐affected upper limb: Are we following evidence‐based practice?
Author(s) -
Gustafsson Louise,
McKenna Kryss
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
australian occupational therapy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.595
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1440-1630
pISSN - 0045-0766
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1630.2003.00395.x
Subject(s) - rehabilitation , occupational therapy , stroke (engine) , collation , evidence based practice , perception , best practice , physical medicine and rehabilitation , medicine , psychology , physical therapy , nursing , alternative medicine , computer science , mechanical engineering , management , pathology , neuroscience , engineering , economics , operating system
Stroke rehabilitation is an area of practice that many occupational therapists encounter during their career. The literature promotes a wide range of management techniques and support devices for people who have a stroke‐affected upper limb, but little is known about the validity of those that occupational therapists actually use in practice. A questionnaire was sent to occupational therapists working in Queensland and northern New South Wales facilities (n = 35), in which adults with a stroke were likely to be treated. Eighteen respondents answered questions about the management techniques and support devices used in their facility, and their perception of the benefit of these devices in the reduction of hemiplegic shoulder pain. Results are discussed with reference to evidence‐based practice and indicate an urgent need for the collation and dissemination of the best current evidence available for the management techniques and support devices used in this area, as well as further research to extend this evidence.