Page 12 - A Guide to Physical and Occupational Therapy for CMT

Mobility
It is important to note that there is large variability in the presentation of a
person affected by CMT, even between individuals with the same type of CMT
and/or within the same family. Outside of disease-specific outcome measures,
your physical therapist has many tools, tests and outcome measures in his/
her toolbox that can be used to monitor your functional mobility. A mobility
assessment will be part of your initial physical therapy evaluation, and it will vary
over the course of your life. Each time you walk through the door, your unique
situation will be assessed for the most optimal plan of care.

The physical therapist will inquire how you are getting around and completing
your everyday tasks. Are you experiencing excessive fatigue with your
day-to-day activities? Are you experiencing falls? If so, what are the
environments where your falls are taking place? Maintaining independence in
mobility is a key area in which physical therapy intervention can be incredibly
helpful.

When possible, using consistent standardized mobility tests can provide
documentation of your symptom progression, as well as help determine the
effectiveness of therapy interventions. Do not be surprised if you repeat the
same tests that the therapist performed earlier in your care, as he/she is looking
to compare the results. The tests the therapist chooses to complete will vary
depending on your age and the state of your symptom progression. A video
might be able to capture the way that you walk now and maybe demonstrate
the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of an assistive device or orthotic. A therapist
might also closely analyze the way that you walk, also known as gait analysis.

The physical therapist is hoping to capture where you are at this moment in
time regarding your mobility. Again, his or her goal is to keep you moving
in your daily life so that you are achieving your daily activities safely and
successfully for as long as possible. Similar to the notes in the initial evaluation
section, please communicate to your therapist your goals and preferences.
His or her hope is to work with you to develop a plan to help you stay as active
as possible for as long as possible.