Abstract
A 29-year old woman with hemorrhage of a brainstem cerebral cavernous malformation was seen for physical therapy treatment. The episode of care began on 4/1/16 and ended on 5/20/16. Treatment was provided by a student physical therapist under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Initial evaluation was conducted at week 6 post-hemorrhage and discharge evaluation at week 12. The patient presented with severe left hemiparesis and walked with a front-wheeled walker (FWW), having experienced only minimal neurological recovery. She was evaluated with Manual Muscle Testing, the 6-Minute Walk Test, the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Subscale, the 10-Meter Walk Test, the Functional Gait Assessment, the Nine Hole Peg Test, and the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale. Physical therapy treatment was administered twice weekly for 6 weeks and consisted of functional, task-specific strengthening and endurance training using the overload principle. A daily home exercise program was implemented and adhered to. The patient returned to all activities including riding a bicycle and bimanual typing. She was discharged home to continue her exercise program and return to all previous activities.