Individualized Physiotherapy of Upper Body Functional Movement Disorder – Two Illustrative Cases

TL;DR

This paper presents two cases showing how physiotherapy can treat upper body movement disorders, emphasizing individualized treatment and sensory techniques.

Contribution

The paper introduces practical physiotherapy approaches for non-gait functional movement disorders through illustrative case studies.

Findings

Individualized physiotherapy can effectively treat upper body functional movement disorders.

Sensory stimuli can shift patient attention away from symptoms, reducing them.

Encouraging patient agency leads to key therapy moments and sustained symptom improvement.

Abstract

Information on specialist physiotherapeutic treatment for functional movement disorders is scarce. Previous studies focussed on functional gait disorders and availability of descriptions of the practical application especially for other body regions is very limited.

We present two illustrative cases, demonstrating the key elements of physiotherapy for the treatment of functional movement disorders beyond gait difficulties. The individual applicability of the specific core elements of physiotherapy, adapted to the individual needs of each patient, are described. We also explain, how different sensory stimuli can be used to shift attention away from symptoms and thus reduce them. Moreover, we discuss how patients’ agency can be encouraged and how this results in therapy key moments, contributing to a sustained improvement of symptoms.

Thus, our case series are intended to guide clinicians and therapists alike, to promote disease-specific physiotherapy for this common and treatable neuropsychiatric disorder.