United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

This is the online catalog where I got a lot of Maia's stuff and where I got her air splint
http://www.ncmedical.com/item_1088.html

couple of things about it - it should not cut into the armpit or it will damage the nerves
and you cannot blow it up too tight or you will cause pain and decrease in circulation
also - when you order it, get the mouthpiece filter (so your spit doesn't go into the splint) - sounds funny but you really do need it

if you are working with a therapist, then bring it to therapy and do it together the first time

we used it for every time Maia was going to weight bear on the floor
it was fine

but she like the medi-kid wraps better because they were wild animals and we played make-up games pertaining the wild animals and I didn't come up with anything fun for the blow up splint....

-francine

Hi Francine,

Thank you for all information. Did you use the medi-wrap for weight-bearing as well? It sounds less complicated than the air-splint. I am wondering if it'll stay on during wheel barrow walking etc when the elbow starts to give out due to weak triceps... Thanks again.

Sema - does your specialist approve of the wheelbarrell walking? I am asking because I went to a Dr. Pape workshop many years ago where she was extremely "passionate" about how shoulders weren't meant to carry the weight of a body -- if they were, we'd be walking on them all the time. So if the "normal" shoulder wasn't meant to walk on - why would we place our children with weakened/paralyzed muscles, and deformed joints and make them walk on them?

Of course that was many years ago and maybe the opinion about this has changed? Things change often in this world. But the way she explained it just made so much sense to me. -francine