Quality of Life and Functional Mobility After Progressive Resistance Exercise in an Adolescent With a Liver...

This case report describes physical therapy intervention using progressive resistance exercise (PRE) with the recipient of a liver transplant to improve physical fitness, quality of life, and functional mobility.

Outpatient physical therapy intervention included 2 phases, 10 weeks each, focused on functional training and PRE-based power training and functional tasks. Secondary conditions included excessive weight gain, adjustment disorder, and intensive scarring.

PRE-based power training appears to be effective in an adolescent with decreased strength and endurance following liver transplant. Improvements in 1 repetition maximum, functional mobility, aerobic/anaerobic fitness, patient-directed goals, and quality of life were measurable.

A PRE-based program may be useful in physical therapy with adolescents after liver transplant. Choice of musculature for training should be relevant to functional limitations and dosing of exercises must be sufficient for muscular hypertrophy.