Physical Therapy Treatment of a Patient with a Conversion Reaction

Excerpt

The purpose of this case study is to review the role of the physical therapist in assessing and treating a patient with a conversion reaction. Although patients with this condition comprise only a small percentage of people assessed and treated by physical therapists, we should be familiar with the conversion reaction and be prepared to treat these patients with our goal as the restoration of physical functioning.

A conversion reaction occurs when psychological conflicts are represented by physical symptoms that involve parts of the body innervated by motor or sensory nerves.¹ These symptoms are not under the patient's voluntary control and cannot be explained by a pathophysiological mechanism.² Instead, the reaction of the patient is psychological in origin, is usually related in time to a particular conflict or need, and commonly appears suddenly.^1,2…