Efficiency of a 3-week multicomponent rehabilitation on improving the function in a patient with Friedreich’s ataxia: A case report

Abstract

Introduction. Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease. Ataxia, as the cardinal symptom, affects the trunk, with swaying, imbalance, and falls, as well as the limbs, with increasing difficulty in activities of daily living. Physical therapy has been recognized as a means of managing physical symptoms and maximizing function in affected persons. To our knowledge, there are no studies that have evaluated the effectiveness of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stabilization techniques in the rehabilitation of patients with such a diagnosis. Case report. We present a 26-year-old female with FA who had severe truncal and limb ataxia, speech difficulty, and poor walking ability. During the three-week rehabilitation, an individually tailored physical therapy program based on PNF stabilization techniques was applied. The implemented rehabilitation program resulted in an overall functional improvement. The reduction in ataxia was registered according to the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA). The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) instrument – a component of locomotion, revealed greater independence in walking. Conclusion. A rehabilitation program based on PNF stabilization techniques may reduce ataxia and improve walking ability in patients with FA.

Keywords

• friedreich ataxia
• physical and rehabilitation medicine
• treatment outcome