Context and objective. This case report describes a patient admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation center after being diagnosed with dermatomyositis. The purpose of this case study is to describe a patient diagnosed with dermatomyositis and to detail the rehabilitation management provided to improve the patient's functional status. Description of the case. A 30-year-old Caucasian female was admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation center on 10/17/2013. The patient began developing progressive extremity weakness in May 2013. The patient presented with progressive muscle weakness, dysphagia, and a mild heliotrope rash, common signs of the disease. Measures used include functional independence measurement, manual muscle testing, and range of motion testing. Data obtained from the objective measures describe the improvements made by the patient in the inpatient rehabilitation facility. Discussion. There is conflicting evidence regarding the use of exercise to promote muscle function in patients diagnosed with dermatomyositis. However, recent data supports the rationale for using resistance exercises, commonly used in physical therapy, to combat disease-associated muscle deterioration. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEPhysiotherapy is an evolving field and with the current push for direct access, physiotherapists must have the skills ready to recognize problems that are outside their scope of care. Therefore, physiotherapists should have experience recognizing the signs and symptoms of systemic infection and also be able to refer to appropriate medical personnel. Dermatomyositis is a condition that might be encountered by a physiotherapist in a direct access situation, as it can affect...... middle of paper ...... range of motion when performing flexion and elbow extension, forearm supination/pronation, finger/wrist flexion/extension, and ankle/toe flexion/extension. Knee flexion/extension was also capable of performing 50-75% knee flexion/extension. The patient remained limited in the proximal extremities, but significantly improved by approximately 25-50%. In comparison, objective data illustrates the improvement achieved by the patient in the rehabilitation facility. With the help of a strengthening program, the patient improved her ability to feed herself according to the FIM. Gains in range of motion and strength were also described in the outcome assessment, most likely due to increased neuronal recruitment. The patient was referred for further rehabilitation at a home health facility to continue his progress, but the patient's current condition is unknown..