tiredmommy
Well-Known Member
The Occupational Therapist (OT) said there isn't a lot that can be done about the joints, but muscle strengthening can help the child.
Does anyone know about loose joints?
- Thread starter tiredmommy
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trinityroyal
Well-Known Member
Just thought I'd weigh in.
(Marg, thanks for re-posting the link to the Ballastexistenz website where I first found out about the ring splints, and the site itself)
Although muscle strengthening exercises don't help the tendons , ligaments or joints, the exercises do provide a means of compensating for the laxity in the ligaments by employing muscle strength.
I am hypermobile, and had the gamut of physiotherapeutic assessments as a child. One of the recommendations was that I do lots of muscle strength work. I have found that, over the years, this has allowed me to hold my body together using muscle tone where the ligaments would normally do the work.
I am still terribly prone to what I think of as "rubber-band-itis", for example, I walk over on my ankles all the time and do some spectacular tripping and falling as a result. However, for most people a turned ankle means a strain, sprain or break. I just stretch and then bounce back, hence all the falling.
If Duckie is turning ankles and things a lot, then this might be her issue as well. Tensor bandages (I think Ace is the U.S. equivalent) and braces helped me a lot as I was growing. This has gotten better as an adult, since I finished my growth.
Sorry for the rambling post...I''ve been travelling for work and just want to get these thoughts out before I fall asleep. Please let me know if you need more info. I have lots of it, just not to hand in this-here hotel room.
Trinity
(Marg, thanks for re-posting the link to the Ballastexistenz website where I first found out about the ring splints, and the site itself)
Although muscle strengthening exercises don't help the tendons , ligaments or joints, the exercises do provide a means of compensating for the laxity in the ligaments by employing muscle strength.
I am hypermobile, and had the gamut of physiotherapeutic assessments as a child. One of the recommendations was that I do lots of muscle strength work. I have found that, over the years, this has allowed me to hold my body together using muscle tone where the ligaments would normally do the work.
I am still terribly prone to what I think of as "rubber-band-itis", for example, I walk over on my ankles all the time and do some spectacular tripping and falling as a result. However, for most people a turned ankle means a strain, sprain or break. I just stretch and then bounce back, hence all the falling.
If Duckie is turning ankles and things a lot, then this might be her issue as well. Tensor bandages (I think Ace is the U.S. equivalent) and braces helped me a lot as I was growing. This has gotten better as an adult, since I finished my growth.
Sorry for the rambling post...I''ve been travelling for work and just want to get these thoughts out before I fall asleep. Please let me know if you need more info. I have lots of it, just not to hand in this-here hotel room.
Trinity
Marguerite
Active Member
OK, this is interesting. We've been told the opposite - that muscle strengthening can only be of limited help. Thanks, guys, I'll go check this out. It might help difficult child 3 at least.
But I can endorse trinity's recommendation of using braces & strapping when things are hurting - the kids have found anecdotally that it reduces the pain. And if they strap wrists before a writing task (such as an exam) then they found it bought them a little more time before the pain got too bad.
husband is also hypermobile - he wore a wrist brace in NZ whenever he had to move luggage, and found it so useful he still wears it every time he has to do heavy lifting or moving (such as shovelling).
Interestingly, we also think husband is Aspie - so yet another who is both.
On the subject of muscle strength-tendon strength, I'm thinking about the possible corollary of muscle weakness-tendon weakness. My torn muscle - it's the gatrocnemius, but I am very unfit as I am unable to exercise (my muscles simply top working fairly quickly). I have been wondering if this unfitness was a contributor to my muscle tearing.
This would be the opposite to you, Witz - I suspect your muscles, the ones you do have, are as fit as they could be purely because they have to do so much work - your muscles have the entire workload of what would normally be shared by a lot of other muscle mass. I do know that our young friend with FSH muscular dystrophy has done really well by constantly exercising, working out, doing as much as she can physically. She's still tiny and very self-conscious about her arms (I don't think she needs to be) but is amazingly capable.
I feel another email to easy child coming on - she might be able to find out the current Occupational Therapist (OT) thinking on the topic of muscles-tendon strength in Australia.
Marg
But I can endorse trinity's recommendation of using braces & strapping when things are hurting - the kids have found anecdotally that it reduces the pain. And if they strap wrists before a writing task (such as an exam) then they found it bought them a little more time before the pain got too bad.
husband is also hypermobile - he wore a wrist brace in NZ whenever he had to move luggage, and found it so useful he still wears it every time he has to do heavy lifting or moving (such as shovelling).
Interestingly, we also think husband is Aspie - so yet another who is both.
On the subject of muscle strength-tendon strength, I'm thinking about the possible corollary of muscle weakness-tendon weakness. My torn muscle - it's the gatrocnemius, but I am very unfit as I am unable to exercise (my muscles simply top working fairly quickly). I have been wondering if this unfitness was a contributor to my muscle tearing.
This would be the opposite to you, Witz - I suspect your muscles, the ones you do have, are as fit as they could be purely because they have to do so much work - your muscles have the entire workload of what would normally be shared by a lot of other muscle mass. I do know that our young friend with FSH muscular dystrophy has done really well by constantly exercising, working out, doing as much as she can physically. She's still tiny and very self-conscious about her arms (I don't think she needs to be) but is amazingly capable.
I feel another email to easy child coming on - she might be able to find out the current Occupational Therapist (OT) thinking on the topic of muscles-tendon strength in Australia.
Marg
tiredmommy
Well-Known Member
Thanks Ladies. 
I'm a little blue tonight that Duckie has to go to handwriting camp while her friends are hanging out, swimming and playing. I know they'll make it fun and that none of her friends' parents will let her be teased or made to feel different. But it makes me sad for her that she faces these challenges.
She's a good kid that has faced issues all her life. She rises to the challenge time and time again, and things could be a lot worse... but I'm sad for my little girl.
I'm a little blue tonight that Duckie has to go to handwriting camp while her friends are hanging out, swimming and playing. I know they'll make it fun and that none of her friends' parents will let her be teased or made to feel different. But it makes me sad for her that she faces these challenges.
She's a good kid that has faced issues all her life. She rises to the challenge time and time again, and things could be a lot worse... but I'm sad for my little girl.
tiredmommy
Well-Known Member
So she had her yearly check up today and I discussed this with our doctor, even brought the Occupational Therapist (OT) report. He wasn't overly concerned until I mentioned she has a hard time opening our exterior doors at home. He did a quick screen on her and said it may not be an actual problem but there appears to be some weakness in both hands. She'll be seen at the ortho department of our local children's hospital next Tuesday.
