Behind back exercises

Forum for parents of injured who are seeking information from other parents or people living with the injury. All welcome
Monika
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2002 11:41 pm

Behind back exercises

Post by Monika »

Hello,

I'm writing in desperate need of some ideas on how to get my little girl to move her injured arm behind her back or even put her hand on her hip. Up until now she has cooperated reasonably well, but is asserting her free-will against ROMing. I used to do the ROM in her sleep but now when I even try to get the arm back there even a little, she wakes up immediately & starts wimpering. Any 'fun' ideas or 'tricks' out there? or toys?
francine
Posts: 3656
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2001 12:52 pm

Re: Behind back exercises

Post by francine »

yes!!

(1) doing the Macarena... remember that one??

(2) watching tv with your hands supporting you behind your back... sit up and watch tv - then put your hands behind your back so that you are resting on your hands - arms extended..your hands are facing the opposite way - do you know what I mean?

(3) wearing pants with pockets and putting things in the pockets that she has to take out... start by putting longer things in the pockets so that they stick out and are very easy to grab...then make them short and shorter until she can reach inside the pocket (if that's ever possible!)

(4) then there's reaching for arrows in her quiver.... (pretend then)

I listed these just a couple of weeks back...

btw have you looked at the Stretching the Limits page in the awarenss section? click on the birth injury button once you are in there...maybe there is something in there for this movement too??

good luck,
francine
Tessie258
Posts: 769
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2001 8:15 pm

Re: Behind back exercises

Post by Tessie258 »

What about finger plays? Remember:
"(hiding hands behind back)where is Thumb thumb?, where is thumb thumb?, here I am(bringing hand to front and wiggle), Here I am, How do you today sir(wiggle finger like its bowing and talking to other finger), very well I thank you run away, run away.
Where is pointer?....etc...
Where is tall man?...etc...
Where is ring man?...etc...
where is pinky?
It's a great song for getting all the fingers worked out....Others may have different words or finger names...It doesn't matter as long as it's fun and the kids love it...
Also maybe you could buy some of those colored easter eggs and put something inside and play a guessing game behind the back...If you do it to her, she will want to do it back to you. My kids loved those eggs...they would play with them for a long time then go out in the yard and fill them with dirt and pretend to cook and crack open the egg in the pan(with 2 hands)..of course as the boys got older they also filled them with dirt and threw them at each other for bombs!!! Best not teach them that one LOL!!
Hope this helps!
T.
kscrouch
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2002 9:04 pm

Re: Behind back exercises

Post by kscrouch »

For my daughter, we sit her on a phone book and place an object behing her back. She has to reach down and grab it.

Also, we have some toy bowling pins. She sits on a phone book with her back to the bowling pins. She has to bowl backwards to knock them down.

Regards,
Kelly.
Paula
Posts: 699
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2002 11:52 pm

Re: Behind back exercises

Post by Paula »

Did you see the Pee-Wee Herman movie where he is at a biker bar and he gets on the bar or table and does his famous Pee-Wee dance to the song "tequila"? If you've seen it that is the one I do with Aaron. I even sing it! Also, I put his hand palm up and play this little piggy on his fingers with him and the last piggy goes running up his arm and down his side tickling him. He loves that one and busts up laughing.
---Paula
Paula
Posts: 699
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2002 11:52 pm

Re: Behind back exercises

Post by Paula »

DUH! The purpose of this little piggy is to stretch his fingers and stimulate his senses on his arm as the "piggy" goes running up his arm. Sorry, I know, you guys haven't learned to read my mind yet!
Paula
AK1999
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2001 1:47 am

FYI "Where is Thumbkin" / Internal Rotation

Post by AK1999 »

We told are therapist that we were doing Where is thumbkin to get hand behind back and she noted that it works against children who are internally rotated. We were told to do it behind the neck to get our daughter to externally rotate.....if it ain't one thing it's always another....
AK1999
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2001 1:47 am

Just tried this palm / hand

Post by AK1999 »

Palm to butt external rotation, back of hand to butt internal....
Anna
Posts: 76
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2002 1:22 am

Re: Behind back exercises

Post by Anna »

AK, Palm to butt external rot? did you mean that? Palm to back of neck is external rotation. (just to clarify!)

Monika, I read somewhere that persistent passive tightness in internal rotation (hand to small of back) can mean a posterior dislocation of the humerus. Not to scare you but while the other activities are all great, I would check into this if she's waking up in pain when you do this.
AK1999
Posts: 80
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2001 1:47 am

You're right

Post by AK1999 »

What I really meant to say is that if you are going to do behind the back excercises, palm to back such as hand in pocket thumb outward is a little better because it brings the shoulder back a little more than back of hand ....does that make sense????
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