Client Satisfaction of Hand Therapy Intervention: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Therapy for Clients Recovered From Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Abstract

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a neuropathic pain condition that may develop following trauma to an extremity. Clients treated for CRPS at St Joseph's Health Care London – Hand and Upper Limb Centre, London, Ontario, were asked to evaluate their level of satisfaction with the treatment they had received by comparing their pain, functional status and emotional status before and after receiving therapy. The results indicated a high level of satisfaction among clients, attributable to the unique nature of the therapy program in use at this facility, where the occupational therapist works in close collaboration with the surgeon and pain specialists, and the therapy regimen is designed for each client individually according to his or her needs. The unique contribution of the present study to the body of clinical literature on CRPS is that it introduces a focus on client functionality and on client satisfaction with therapy received.