Physiotherapy and patients with osteogenesis imperfecta: an experience report

Introduction Individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) have bone fragility and osteopenia which cause fractures, mobility restriction and pain. Objective This article examines a physiotherapy experience with people diagnosed with OI in an OI reference center of Rio de Janeiro. Materials and methods This was an exploratory qualitative study, based on field notes related to physiotherapy care to 92 patients of both genders with clinical diagnoses of OI, aged between 30 days and 37 years old, during the period 2004–2008. The analysis comprised a reading of the field notes as a corpus, considering them as a means of understanding the subjects’ perspectives. Two different forms of codification were applied — open and focused — followed by semiotic analysis techniques. Results Early encouragement to perform active movements within a safe environment, or even after fractures, reduced articular contractures and enhanced muscular tonus; physiotherapy manipulation facilitated the integration of body perception in relation to movements and responses to tactile-kinesthetic-vestibular stimuli; promoting family involvement, by adopting practical solutions adapted to each patient’s reality, contributed to reduce fear of fractures and allowed the construction of a new functional image. Conclusion Physiotherapy assessment and treatment should be based not only on clinical and neurofunctional elements and technical strategies, but also on a dialogue that includes the multiple dimensions of the patients and their family members, in order to engage them in a learning process to stimulate potentials, abilities and competences. Introdução Os indivíduos com osteogênese imperfeita (OI) sofrem de grande fragilidade óssea e osteopenia, que ocasionam inúmeras fraturas, restrição da mobilidade e dor. Objetivo Expor pacientes com diagnóstico de OI à experiência do tratamento fisioterapêutico levado a cabo em centro de referência em Osteogênese Imperfeita do Rio de Janeiro. Materiais e métodos Estudo qualitativo, exploratório, baseado em notas de campo relativas à assistência fisioterapêutica a 92 pacientes com diagnóstico clínico de OI, com idade variando entre 30 dias e 37 anos, de ambos os sexos, atendidos entre 2004 e 2008. A análise compreendeu a leitura das anotações enquanto um corpus, considerando todo o registro da experiência de campo tal como ela se desenvolveu, empreendendo-se uma codificação aberta e uma enfocada, seguidas da aplicação de técnicas semióticas. Resultado