Report on a sensory programme for patients with sensory deficits

Sensation and movement are seen to be linked together and sensation is often used as a means of improving movement function. The sensory programme is an attempt to focus on the sensory side of sensory/motor deficits, and involves the stimulation of touch, pressure, temperature and joint receptors, and also muscle spindles, in an effort to 're-educate' sensation. The programme described was tested on twenty patients. Although there was some improvement in sensation, motor improvement was more apparent and occurred earlier in treatment, some patients showing marked improvement in motor function after a relatively long (four to six months) period. The programme is seen as a useful technique to use in combination with other forms of treatment for patients with decreased sensation. It has lately been used for patients with hypersensitivity with some encouraging results.