The Effects of Physical Therapy in a Patient with Huntington's Chorea- A Case Study

Huntington’s Chorea is a genetic, progressive, and eventually fatal disorder that causes a breakdown of nerves within the brain. The initial symptoms typically present themselves when the patient is between 30 and 50 years of age. As the disease progresses, the patient loses much of their ability to control and coordinate their movements. One of the major concerns for patients with this disease is the ability to swallow, as choking is often a cause of death for those with this disease. This presentation is a case study about a 48 year old patient diagnosed with Huntington’s Chorea at 30 years of age. The patient has been receiving physical therapy in local outpatient clinics and the University of Lynchburg Community Health Center consistently since the fall semester of 2016. Additionally, the patient was recently put on home hospice care. This case study will specifically address the progressive nature of Huntington’s Chorea and how the patient has been making significant functional improvements despite the degenerative nature of the disease. Through specific physical therapy intervention strategies, the patient shows increases in strength, increases in functional mobility and transfers, decreases in caregiver burden and assistance, increases in independence, and increases in the speed of cognitive processing in response to commands. This case study will specifically address interventions used to achieve these improvements.Keywords: Huntington’s Chorea, physical therapy, genetic diseases, physical therapy interventions