United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Michaela had no problems with her bicep or function of her elbow. Now that it's in the SOL splint and straight all the time, she's complaining when I do her excercises at night that her elbow hurts when I bend it to touch her nose. A week ago she was doing it herself, but now she won't even try because she says it hurts. I'm assuming it's because she's not using it because it's in the splint all day. Is there anyway I can warm it up or anything else I can do? LeeAnne

you are taking the splint off for exercises?

if so - how about laying her down flat on a table or something (with blankies underneath) and putting a nice warm compress in her elbow for a little while and doing a bit of massage in there too and THEN doing her roms?

Ditto to Francine's suggestions. To add to that though, I would contact Michaela's surgeon if you haven't already -- to make sure that the position of the splint is not too much of a stretch for her arm. Was she able to straighten her arm completely before the surgery? Did she have any contractures? Is it sore at other times or just when doing that exercise? I don't want to worry you, but I would definitely contact the doctor about this. What ROM insructions were you given? Just wondering how much things have changed if at all. -Tina )

She's telling me it's bothering her a couple of times a day, that it hurts. She didn't have any contractures and arm was straight, she had gotten extension really well in the last year.She's always been able to bring it to her mouth and at last eval in october to her nose. This really surprised Leslie. When we do her roms at bath time, when we have the splint off, that's the only one she complains about. The ot from tch told us to do the supination and pronation for her, lift her shoulder slightly,touch the nose, touch the top of her head,excercise her wrist,and all the hand joints.When we went to get the splint raised, our O.T. did these with her and of course we always support in the splinted position,she was just supporting and Michaela was doing the touch your nose and up and down of the wrist herself and that was fine since they didn't get operated on.now such a big difference in only a week.At first I just thought it's getting stiff in thst position from non use because she had no limitation there. Lst night i thought maybe I should talk to leslie and see if something needs to be changed with the splint but I guess I'll contact Lisa T. Should've thought of that.LeeAnne

Katie complained for several weeks after the initial removal week of the same thing. I am not sure if it gets irritated after being in the splint or what. Of note, she spent a week off formal therapy due to an illness and hasn't complained in about two weeks now of the elbow in particular. But she would hold it up (and even have us support it) and tell us it hurts. you could hear popping, cracking and grinding when unbending it so she wanted to keep it bent all the time. Her splint was 90/90..not straight out.

Sorry I couldn't help, I just wanted to let you (and the other upcoming parents) that this happened in our situation. Now she is just telling her whole arm to go away, smacks or rubs it and has started chewing her fingertips. Primary recovery maybe?

Christy, here's the latest from Miss Nicole's -- she twists her body from side to side so that her arms fly all over the place and lets the L (BP) arm get smacked against the wall. She's done it a couple of times now when she was angry. We've been having some anger management problems recently. She's more frustrated with the splint off than with it on her. I just keep telling myself this will pass and it will get better. Sigh... and lots of praying for patience. Take care. -Tina )