A specialist say's the muscle in my son's left leg is too strong.?
He say's that the muscle is overdeveloped in his calf & that's why the toes keep being bent underneath his foot.He said he'll need a splint or possibly Botox injections to relax the muscle so he can walk.
Has anyone else come accross this problem before & if so,what happened next?How long will it take before my son is walking on his own?
Answers:
Have you seen a physical therapist? They may recommend range of motion (stretching) , exercises that can be done at home along with splinting for positioning. I am glad to hear your son is otherwise doing everything a little boy should be doing at his age. This may also be tight tendons or a fascia (connective tissue) issue that can be dealt with by a simple surgical procedure. Good luck!
My best friend has a son who is now 16 and just recently had surgury to correct the problem. They didn't know that was what was going on until he got hurt playing football.
I recommend asking your doctor for a physical therapist and try a chiropractor.
My friend said that if they had known about this at a young age they could have prevented the surgery.
Good luck, it will be okay, just stay in tune with his body and you will make all the right choices.
Luckily you are going privately. That means you can ring the specialist and ask him these questions! After all, he is the one that has suggested these things. Also ask him if there is a technical term for your son's problem - then look that up on the internet (or ask on Answer!).
You had to ask your GP to refer you, even though you went privately. Why not go and have a chat with your Doctor and ask him if you want some advice from a third party. After all, it is easy for the specialist to blind you with science and you not really know what you are agreeing to.
If it is any help, my hip muscle was too short. I had to go and have a Z cut into the muscle to stop it 'snapping' over my hip joint. It was the best thing I could have done - I used to take pain killers like they were going out of fashion if I stood or walked for too long. Originally I was told it was because I needed a hip replacement operation, which they would not do because I was too young (that was by an NHS specialist). I spoke to a private specialist who was operating on my mother and he was brilliant! I had that done privately because the waiting list for the NHS was about 6 years!
I was also born with congenital bilateral dislocation of the hips (the socket of my hips had not developed - something I inherited). I was put into double nappies when born and then into an A-frame. That basically meant that my legs were in plaster, with a bar across my knees, so my hips could not move sideways until they had developed. My mum says I got around brilliantly, but used to get frustrated when I could not crawl between the legs of chairs! I also used to play 'tug of war' with our labrador, with the dog pulling on the bar!!! Okay, so I learned to walk later than normal, but at least I was not wheelchair bound, or had to have my hips pinned, like my cousin did.
So good luck - and, although it is frightening thinking about things being done to your son, he will benefit in the future.
Chin up!
It sounds like the specialist is describing spasticity, especially since he mentioned Botox Injections. I don't want to scare you, but I have to ask. Did the specialist say anything about Cerebral Palsy? My daughter has CP and has Spastic Diplegia (which means "high tone" and "both legs"). My daughter wears braces (splints) on both legs. They have helped her TREMENDOUSLY. I have an online support group where you'll find TONS of information and answers to your questions. It's www.specialparent.org Please feel free to visit and present your question right away. There are many people there from the UK (as I'm assuming you are from there since you mentioned "splints" and "NHS"). I hope that you'll join us to get some great information and loads of support.
Sorry, I almost forgot to answer your other question. My daughter was diagnosed at 27 months old, and began to walk with the use of the orthotics at 30 months old. Don't be discouraged though. Many, many children with CP walk, most of the time it's very late though. My blessings to you and your son.
More Questions & Answers...
- my son is thirteen months old and just points and makes noises is this normal?
- Any tips on how to get a 2 yr old to sleep in her own bed?
- Which toddler age do you think gives more tantrums?
- Please be serious!!?
- How do I get my two year old to stop saying no constantly?
- How can i prevent my 2 years old from getting in fall and winter while in daycare?