Posts Tagged erb's palsy
Don’t Postpone Treatment For A Brachial Plexus Injury
Posted by Rich Silverman in Research, Therapy and Treatments on June 16, 2010
A new study, soon to released in “Pediatrics for Parents” suggests that a Brachial Plexus diagnosis is often missed entirely or misdiagnosed because both the general public and many medical practitioners don’t know enough about the condition.
Dr. Linda Michaud, director of rehabilitation at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Brachial Plexus Center, says she and her staff believe that the greatest challenge they face in diagnosing and treating brachial plexus injuries is identification and diagnosis. “All too often this doesn’t happen.” she says “because of the prevailing lack of awareness about the condition.”
“Before our families find our center with brachial plexus specialists, many are told that their children will heal on their own or that nothing can be done for them,” she told Pediatrics for Parents.
Dr. Mohab Foad, a Cincinnati-based orthopedic surgeon, agrees, noting that it is important when it comes to surgical intervention in a case of brachial plexus injury. In comments planned for publication in the November issue of Pediatrics for Parents, he notes that treatment protocols are fairly rigid and timelines are important.
“This injury should be identified early enough that (these) children are able to receive the treatment they need. My preference is to proceed with nerve reconstruction as soon as it becomes clear that it is needed. The optimal time for surgery is before nine months, although it is still an option after 9-12 months.” If a patient goes without surgical treatment much beyond that time frame, he notes, “repairing the nerves is no longer an option.”
According to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), while many brachial plexus injuries do result from the stretching of the shoulder during birth, there are also many cases that occur without any obvious shoulder injury. Tumors and inflammation can also cause a brachial plexus injury, and are more difficult to diagnose because the cause is hidden. Dr. Michaud’s Brachial Plexus website also notes that auto, truck and ATV accidents can result in brachial plexus injuries.
LikeEffective Ways to Find the Therapist For Your Child
Posted by George Passwater in Family Life, Therapy and Treatments on May 4, 2010
Choosing a therapist for your child is a process you shouldn’t take lightly. Whether the therapist will help your child with mobility, fine-motor skills, speech or other skills, make sure to weigh every factor in your search carefully.
What would be some of the most important things to look for when searching for a therapist?
What’s Their Experience?
One of the first things to do is check therapist’s experience – what type of experience do they have? Let’s face it, you really wouldn’t want anyone that doesn’t have experience in cases similar to your child, would you?
When you check experience of a therapist, also check on things like:
- What school did they go to?
- When did they graduate from school?
- Have they worked anywhere else?
- What types of therapies and disabilities have they dealt with?
- Do they have any references?
What Are They Like
Now just because a therapist has a large amount of experience doesn’t mean they’re the right choice.
Another determining factor would be what some call “bed side manner.” This is basically the way your therapist interacts and communicates with you and your child.
- How does the therapist interact with you?
- How does the therapist interact with your child?
- Does your child react well or want to be around the therapist?
- Does the therapist’s references tell of good communication with their children?
If you or your child has an uneasy feeling about the therapist, time to move on in your search.
Are They Close By
So, you have someone who has great experience and is great with you and your child – what about location? Even though it’s not as important as the first two factors, the therapist’s location could play a role in if you choose them to work with your child.
- Do they do in-home therapy?
- How far away are they located?
- What times do they have available to see your child?
- Do they have alternate locations if they are too far away for you?
- What’s the condition of their office? Is it a place you would want to take your child?
There are many factors to look at when choosing a therapist that’s right for your child. After you get the right answers on the top three questions listed above, everything else should work out.
Take your time and make sure to listen to your child when looking at therapists – if they don’t like the therapist, it might be time to keep looking.
3 Benefits of Homeschooling Your Special Needs Child
Posted by George Passwater in Education and Socialization, Family Life on March 26, 2010
Does your child have difficulty in school?
Are they ahead or behind of the other children in certain skills or activities?
Have you ever looked into homeschooling your special needs child?
For some children, a home environment is more conducive for their learning.
That’s great you say, but what would be some of the benefits of homeschooling?
Minimal Distractions
When you have your child at home, you are usually able to control their environment; some children are better suited to this type of situation
In the classroom, your child may have many distractions that keep him or her from concentrating on their learning. Now I am not saying the classroom is the wrong place, but I am pointing out that one pro for homeschooling is that you can control the distractions and environment around your child’s learning.
Some children work better around more people, while other children do better in a homeschooling environment.
One-on-One
If you can, homeschooling your child gives you time with him or her as well as having the benefit of one-on-one learning.
Some children learn faster than others; some children interact differently and excel at some activities faster than others. With one-on-one homeschooling, your child gets to learn and progress at his or her own pace and comfort level. With this, they don’t have the added stress of trying to keep up or wait for other children during their learning time.
Therapies and Medical Needs
Another benefit of homeschooling your special needs child is: therapies and medical appointments.
If you have a therapist that comes to your home or you need to take your child on medical appointments, you already have your child at home. There is no need to go through the hassle of picking them up, getting them out of class or contending with traffic to and from the school.
There are great benefits to homeschooling your special needs child. The three above benefits are a great starting place to look when you are ready to learn more about homeschooling your child. It is up to you to find out if you are able to give your child the right education and attention at home or if homeschooling just isn’t right.
Do you home school your child?
What benefit convinced you to home school your child?
Preventing Caregiver Burn-Out (Caring for the Caregiver)
Posted by Charlene Miller in Family Life on March 26, 2010
Caregiving, whether it is for acute, short-term needs, or for chronic, long-term care, can be physically exhausting and emotionally draining. Whether it is for a chronically ill or disabled child (like one with cerebral palsy), an ill or injured family member, or an elderly person, it is both a privilege to be able to give your time and care, but it is easy to lose yourself and overlook your own needs in the process.
Several sources, including The Caregiver’s Guide, and The Caregiver Helpbook (Vicki Schmall, Marilyn Cleland and Marilynn Studevant) include similar advice about how the caregiver can (and should) look after his or her own needs.
The first piece of advice to any caregiver is to take care of you. Do not isolate yourself; seek support from other family and friends as needed. If this is not enough, seek assistance from a counselor or even from a support group geared specifically to caregivers.
- Prioritize your caregiving- do not think you can (or should be able to) to do it all. Do what is necessary, let other things go
- Ask for help, accept all offers for help- many people are willing, but may need specifics on exactly what to do.
- Look to the full range of services and benefit programs that either you or the person needing care may be eligible for
- Do not isolate your self- stay in touch with family and friends. Try to maintain your interests and activities as much as you can.
- Acknowledge your limitations. Know when you need a break, and take one. Rest, read, take a walk or go to a movie, do not allow the stress of caregiving to overwhelm you.
- Educate yourself about the illness or condition of the person for whom you are caring.
- Allow yourself the time and need to grieve the losses that accompany the condition of the person for whom you are giving care. Caregiving can be a process of sadness and mourning.
- Learn and practice stress-management techniques
- Attend a caregiver’s support group, either in person, or online
- Ask a family member, friend or neighbor to stay while you take a walk, exercise or run errands
- As much as possible, maintain your own schedule. In particular, keep your own appointments with doctors, dentists, counselors…and even your hairdresser!
- Rest or do something enjoyable while the person for whom you are caring rests
- As much as possible, maintain a regular and adequate sleep schedule
Caregivers can often become overwhelmed by the physical demands of taking care of someone they love, but the emotional toll that accompanies the job cannot be overlooked. Intense feelings of fear, worry, sadness and grief can sneak up on a caregiver, but when these feelings do not go away, or when they become overwhelming or pervasive then professional treatment may be necessary.
New Technique Promotes Rapid Bone Growth
Posted by Rich Silverman in Research, Therapy and Treatments on March 25, 2010
A husband and wife team of researchers has developed a new technique for healing injuries involving significant or traumatic bone loss. Melissa Knothe Tate, a professor of both biomedical engineering and mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and her husband, Ulf Knothe, an orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, jointly developed a method for using the periosteum to encourage bone growth. The new procedure is said to heal faster and be less invasive than current treatments such as bone grafts or procedures that pull bones together using metal pins.
The periosteum is a thin, sleeve-like tissue that covers all human bones. It is rich in stem-cells which can be used to replace lost bone. According to an article in “Orthopedics This week”, the technique involves separating the periosteum from the bone and using it as a sleeve to bridge a gap between adjacent bones. While in place, its stem cells encourage speedy growth of new bone.
Melissa Knothe Tate first researched the effectiveness of the technique using sheep. Using the periosteum to cover 1” gaps in sheep legs, she found that the sheep could stand after just one day and after only two weeks showed substantial bone growth. The act of the sheep putting pressure on the repair by standing, she says, actually helps speed the healing process.
According to Technology Review, published by MIT, the two researchers recently performed the procedure on a young wheelchair-bound girl with cerebral palsy who had one of her legs lengthened. The patient experienced bone growth within the first 30 days, faster than could be expected with traditional grafts or other treatments.
For cases in which there isn’t enough periosteum available, the researchers have created an artificial periosteum, which they can use in a manner similar to the way they would use the real periosteum. While it would not be a good source of stem cells, it would be a suitable way to contain the patients own stem cells or smaller sections of periosteum, taken from other parts of the body.
The artificial periosteum is made of already-FDA-approved materials, and can be easily autoclaved, making it suitable for use in places with limited facilities such as rural hospitals or mobile battlefield surgical units. The two hope to make the procedure available at the Cleveland Clinic.
Making Special Needs Kids Feel Included
Posted by Lauren Fritsky in Current Events, Family Life on March 25, 2010
Of all the challenges that come with having special needs (like cerebral palsy), being separated from their able-bodied peers in the realms of school and extracurricular activities can be very tough for children in this population. Parents and disability advocates have made strides in recent years in getting special needs children integrated into mainstream classrooms. Now, the same is happening in the world of sports with the help of “inclusion companions,” highlighted in a recent Chicago Tribune article.
These aides help special needs children participate in activities with their able-bodied peers by prodding them to stay focused and providing them with modified athletic gear. For children with speaking difficulties or hearing impairments, it can mean finding other ways to communicate during game play.
The idea of inclusion is even being extended to professional sports. Special Olympics Unified Sports (www.specialolympics.org/unified_sports.aspx), for instance, invites athletes with and without disabilities to participate on the same team. Dr. Robert Steadward, one of the founders of the International Paralympic Committee, believes the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games should start being held at the same time, not only to facilitate resource-sharing, but to foster inclusion of able-bodied and disabled athletes, according to a story in The Vancouver Sun.
How do you feel about including children with special needs in mainstream sports on a recreational or professional level?
Prenatal Care for Birth Injury Prevention
Posted by Justin Stoltzfus in Research on March 24, 2010
A government site dedicated to women’s health is providing new details on birth injury risks in a report aimed at raising the bar for prenatal care and birth injury prevention.
The National Women’s Health Information Center (NWHIC), a project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a “Healthy People 2010 report” that shows how the agency is working to improve maternal and fetal health, as well as many other aspects of health and welfare of female citizens.
Healthy People 2010 contains numerous goals or objectives which “address the most significant preventable threats to women’s health and establish targets for specific improvements” according to introductory remarks in the report. One of these is a benchmark for the percentage of women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy, something that the NWHIC maintains will cut down on various kinds of birth injuries and disabilities in infants, as well as maternal health risks. The target goal is 90%.
The report also provides current numbers on how many women receive this kind of prenatal care, showing that compliance with the goal increases according to maternal age and level of education, with ethnicity also a major factor.
Even more information on related pregnancy statistics can be found in a separate fact sheet from the study.
Online maternity health and wellness writers agree that prenatal care is crucial to preventing birth injuries and related events in the delivery room.
Other women’s health advocates point to the NWHIC web site as a general resource for American women who want more information about how national trends might affect their health or lifestyle.
For newly expecting mothers, resources like those on the NWHIC site can help provide more education for the big decisions facing them in the nine months of a pregnancy, as this government group works to improve the general conditions and standards of care for the average mother.
Becoming a Caregiver, Needing a Caregiver- how to find the help you need
Posted by Charlene Miller in Current Events, Family Life on March 24, 2010
Having to become a caregiver can be something that happens over time, due to the declining health of a loved one; or occur suddenly, upon the birth of a child with disabilities (like cerebral palsy), or due to an illness or accident that incapacitates a formerly healthy family member.
I have found myself in the unexpected position of suddenly having to become a full time caregiver to my husband, who was very seriously injured in a fall almost a month ago. Although he is very fortunate to not have been paralyzed or killed, he will be essentially helpless for the next few months, and I have become his personal full-time care giver, on duty 24 hours per day.
In addition to the physical demands of having to care for a man who is much larger than I am, there is also the emotional toll that the fall has taken on both of us. We also have three young children who are understandably upset and have additional needs at the moment; and their full schedules that have in no way abated simply because their father has been injured.
Due to his multiple injuries, my husband does not have the use of either of his arms, and cannot lie down. He cannot hold anything, and cannot eat or drink without help. He cannot dress himself or shower. For the first few weeks, he could not be left to stand or walk alone as he had a concussion and has been on pain medication (with his arm and shoulder injuries, he would not be able to brace himself or break his fall, and may make his concussion worse). Because he cannot lie flat, he has been living on the pullout in the family room or the recliner in the living room. This has necessitated that I sleep on a love seat, in case he needs assistance in the middle of the night.
Our employers have been exceptionally concerned and generous about him being injured and being out until further notice, and my needing to be with him for the month. I will be returning next week and my parents and some friends will be taking turns staying with him, or driving him to various medical appointments. We are very lucky to have so much willing and available assistance.
People have suggested that we look into a home health care aids or occupational therapists to come to our home to evaluate his needs and offer tools or assistance to meet them. Had I not had the good fortune to have been able to take the time out of work, or if my family did not live so close by, or were unable or unwilling to help, I would absolutely have had to pursue that option. It would have started with a referral from his primary care doctor, or from one of the orthopedic surgeons who have treated him, and we would have had to check with our insurance provider to be sure that it was covered (and for how long).
I began to investigate the process of how to find the assistance that we may have needed, and found an exceptional resource for the needs of those who need and/or provide care. It is a manual called The Caregiver’s Guide. It is published by the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging, Elder Services of Worcester Area, Inc, Montachusett Home Care Corporation and Tri-Valley Inc. I happened to find it at my local Y, and although it primarily focuses on elder care, the contacts and information can be applied to anyone in need. This guide has many pages of resources and website addresses categorized by type and need. The most universal sources are www.aarp.org/families/caregving/ – which provides information for a caregiver; www.caregiving.org –The National Alliance for Caregiving; www.caregiverslibrary.org – The Caregiver’s Library; and www.familycaregiving101.org – which offers assistance, Ideas and Advice for Caregivers.
Whether your need to hire or become a caregiver is chronic, sudden or just emerging, these and other websites are resources to ensure that current and future needs are met in the most timely manner.
A Teacher With Cerebral Palsy Successfully Defends His Position
Posted by Rich Silverman in Current Events, Litigation/Legal on March 23, 2010
Here’s something we’d probably all love to see happen here in the States. The Supreme Court of India has, figuratively-speaking, smacked the hands of an Indian high court that ruled to dismiss a government-school teacher who has cerebral palsy.
According to an article in The Hindu.com, Syed Bashir-ud-din Qadri was appointed to the position of teacher at a government-run school in the town of Pulwama by the government of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India, situated in and around the Himalayan mountains. His appointment was part of a merit program aimed at physically challenged candidates. Two government committees later approved his appointment, noting that they believed him to be fully capable of discharging his duties.
But acting on a complaint from a local political leader, the Jammu and Kashmir high court reversed the appointment and removed Qadri from his position. Qadri appealed to the Indian Supreme Court and that court reinstated him.
The Supreme Court admonished the high court, telling them in no uncertain terms to reinstate Qadri to his position with all notional service benefits. In his opinion, Supreme Court Justice Altamas Kabir said “It is unfortunate that in spite of the positive aspects of the appellant functioning as Rehbar-e-Taleem (teacher) and the clear and unambiguous object of the Jammu and Kashmir Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, the High Court adopted a view which was not compatible therewith. The High Court has dealt with the matter mechanically, without even referring to the Act or even the provisions of Sections 22 and 27 thereof.”
Justice Kabir noted that in adopting the “unusual method” of calling him in front of the High Court of Jumma and Kashmir, “The High Court appeared to be insensitive to the fact that as a victim of cerebral palsy, the appellant suffered from a slight speech disability which must have worsened on account of nervousness when asked to appear before the court to answer questions.”
The ruling from the Supreme Court also noted that “This is not one of the normal cases relating to a person’s claim for employment. This case involves a beneficial piece of social legislation to enable persons with certain forms of disability to live a life of purpose and human dignity.”
Can Underwater Treadmills Improve Walking?
Posted by Lauren Fritsky in Current Events on March 23, 2010
We know from taking a dip in the pool that our bodies operate differently underwater. The buoyancy of the water makes certain kind of movements easier.
Aqua Therapy May Be Able To Help Those With Trouble Walking
This notion is at play in research into how submerging treadmills in water can help individuals who have trouble walking improve their function. The treatment usually involves having the individual go into an exercise chamber in which the buoyancy can be adjusted by raising or lowering the level of water. Studies and programs have been conducted before, and a recent one is taking place in the physical therapy lab at Middle Tennessee State University outside Nashville on patients with spinal cord injuries. But other facilities have also used underwater treadmills in treating individuals with neurological injuries showing implications for conditions such as cerebral palsy.
At Tennessee State, researchers are using treadmills submerged in 270 gallons of water with patients with spinal cord injuries to see if they can regain walking ability Therapists work with patients three times a week in 30-minute sessions for two months. Sandy Stevens, an MTSU physical therapist who is conducting the study, believes underwater treadmill training can help regenerate damaged cells in the spinal cord and facilitate a return to walking ability.
“Everybody who has been through the study has demonstrated improvement, and primarily that has been in lower extremity strength and balance and cardiovascular endurance,” she said.
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