TY  - JOUR
AU  - Raele, Maria Vittoria
AU  - Dell’Anna, Laura
AU  - Mancini, Rachele
AU  - Farì, Giacomo
AU  - Ranieri, Maurizio
AU  - Megna, Marisa
AU  - Marvulli, Riccardo
AU  - Paoloni, Marco
AU  - Agostini, Francesco
AU  - Mangone, Massimiliano
AU  - Bernetti, Andrea
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/02/27
TI  - Therapeutic Exercise Holds the Key to Improve Hand and Upper Limbs Dystonia Rehabilitation Programs: A Systematic Review
JO  - OBM Neurobiology
SP  - 272
VL  - 09
IS  - 01
AB  - Upper limb dystonia is a focal locomotion disorder affecting arm, forearm, and hand muscles, causing abnormal movements given by repeated, steady, and intercontinuous contractions. There are different types of dystonia and the multifaced nature of this pathology is challenging in the treatment management, leading to a worsening of affected patients’ life quality, mainly from a psychological point of view, but also from a functional perspective. This work examines the present literature regarding upper limb dystonia rehabilitation and treatment with a glance at recent approaches and new treatment strategies. This systematic review was carried out according to the PRISMA statement. The investigation used PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar, including papers from the last ten years. The search yielded 1608 records, all undergone careful screening. A total of 15 papers were selected. The data highlight the importance of combined and customized treatments. The most common strategy included botulinum toxin. Evidence has shown the association between botulinum toxin and therapeutic exercise or occupational therapy. Other approaches involved: tDCS, rTMS and orthosis use, always combined with rehabilitation programs. This pathology requires a multidimensional approach combining personalized therapeutic exercise and other treatments. Nevertheless, further investigations are needed, with a larger population and standardized outcomes to improve dystonia patients’ quality of life and motor abilities.
SN  - 2573-4407
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2501272
DO  - 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2501272
ID  - Raele2025
ER  -