Effect of a physiotherapy program in patient with persistent polyarthralgia after chikungunya fever. Case report

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chikungunya fever is caused by the chikungunya virus, but with characteristics similar to the dengue fever. The main clinical manifestation that differs from dengue is the strong joint pains, which can remain for long periods, and that is found at lower intensity and duration with dengue. The objective of this study was to contribute to the physical therapy in patients with persistent polyarthralgia after chikungunya fever. CASE REPORT: Female patient, 35 years old, diagnosed with persistent polyarthralgia after chikungunya fever. When admitted to the physiotherapy service, she complained of severe pain in the knee, wrist and right ankle, mainly in the morning. For the physiotherapeutic evaluation, the following parameters were used: visual analog scale, use of painkillers, goniometry, modified sphygmomanometer test, and perimetry. The functional assessment was done through a 10m walking test, Quick Dash and Lequesne scales, Portuguese version, for the upper and lower limbs, respectively. The proposed physiotherapeutic program was based on therapeutic exercises and manual therapy for 4 weeks. The results showed that the proposed physical therapy was effective in decreasing the pain, increasing muscle strength, the range of motion, decreasing edema and improving functional capacity. CONCLUSION: The physiotherapeutic treatment proved to be effective in treating a patient with persistent polyarthralgia after chikungunya fever, improving the subjective pain and functional capacity.