Follow Through with Home Physical Therapy Programs

Musculoskeletal Care published research on adherence to home physiotherapy in children and young people with joint hypermobility.  Twenty eight families participated in a qualitative study that included multidisciplinary treatment interventions including physical therapy for children (5-17 years old).  The parents and the children reported that exercise helped the symptoms of joint hypermobility. 

There was increased follow through to exercise programs with the following:

• Parental motivation
• adapting family routines
• making exercise a family activity
• seeing benefit increased adherence to exercise

When exercise programs were not adhered to the following was reported:

• lower levels of parental supervision
• not understanding the treatment
• not seeing benefit 
• not having specific time to dedicate to doing the exercises.

Reference:   Birt, L., Pfeil, M., MacGregor, A., Armon, K. and Poland, F. (2013), Adherence to Home Physiotherapy Treatment in Children and Young People with Joint Hypermobility: A Qualitative Report of Family Perspectives on Acceptability and Efficacy. Musculoskelet. Care. doi: 10.1002/msc.1055