[Purpose] To describe the effect of a physical therapy program in function improvement
and pain reduction in patients older than 60 years with complex regional pain syndrome
(CRPS) type I after distal radius fracture (DRF) treated conservatively. [Participants and
Methods] Fifty-four patients received a 6 weeks physical therapy program that included in
hydrotherapy, manual therapy, and exercises based on motor skill training. Two evaluations
were performed, the wrist/hand function was assessed with Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation
(PRWE) questionnaire, the upper extremity function with the Disabilities of the Arm,
Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, grip strength with Jamar Dynamometer, and pain
intensity with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). [Results] At the end of the treatment, PRWE
showed a decrease of 30.9 points, DASH 34.7 points, and the VAS, 3.4 cm. The grip strength
showed an increase of 14.4%. [Conclusion] A physical therapy program based on
hydrotherapy, manual therapy, and exercises in a short term improves the function and
reduces the pain in patients older than 60 years with CRPS I after DRF treated
conservatively.
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