United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi Everyone! I haven't been on for a long time. Glad to be back. I have a couple of questions or concerns if you would please help me out with. Addy had mod quad on Oct 15th., we are now at our 4 week anniversary. Monday I took off the splint in a warm bath and she did ok. (I got that advice from u-guys thank you) My concern is that she is protecting her arm A LOT ! I know that she may need an adjustment period for the soreness, but I just wanted to get some feedback from experience. She is walking around holding her bpi wrist with her right hand and not using it at all. She has all function in her fingers and wrist. She does not want to participate in any activities voluntarily using that arm. She acts like it's still in the splint or worse that it has no feeling or something? Any knowledge would be greatly appreciated ... thanks in advance

sounds about right....

can you get her in a warm pool somewhere when she begins her therapy?

It took Maia quite a while to get her bearings back and the warm water and tylenol really helped.

Hope it feels better for her soon!
-francine

After the mod quad where I gained extension and could straighten my arm for the first time and hold it down by my side, I noticed that I was still holding my arm with the elbow bent. I had to remind myself not to do that anymore. It was just habit, I think, it takes the body some time to adjust to the new abilities so that it is natural.

I don't know what releases were done as part of the mod quad in your situation, but I also felt a difference in my biceps which had had a release. There was a very different, kind of uncomfortable (not pain) feeling and I felt a need to support that arm. This passed with time. But I remember the feeling distinctly.

Hope this helps.

Nancy

Nancy, I have often heard people say that walking around with the arm bent is habit. I don't agree completely, at least in Nicole's case. Nicole never bent her arm before the Mod Quad. In fact the only way she really could bend it was lying on her back and using gravity. Now she walks around with it bent and this has happened since she came out of the SOL splint. I'm sure in Nicole's case that it has to do with the muscles that they moved around. She can straighten it and sometimes she does, but she also carries it bent a lot now. I'm not saying that you're wrong, just saying that I don't think "habit" is always the answer. I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this too. -Tina

THANKS FOR THE INPUT... ADDY IS IN A PRIVATE SWIMMING CLASS ONCE A WEEK IN A HEATED POOL. THIS WEEK (TODAY) I COULDN'T TAKE HER BECAUSE SHE HAS HAD A RUNNY NOSE AND COUGH. SO I AM HOPING THAT MAYBE WE CAN GO ON FRIDAY. IT'S WEIRD BECAUSE I GAVE HER SOME STRING TO PLAY WITH( MY MOM SEWS ALOT) AND SHE USED BOTH HANDS REALLY WELL. BUT IF I HOLD SOMETHING UP FOR HER TO GRAB, SHE STILL GOES SIDEWAYS TO GET IT INSTEAD OF REACHING UP. I GUESS SHE DOESN'T REALIZE THAT HER ARM CAN GO STRAIGHT UP NOW. IF YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE IDEAS I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THEM. THANKS AGAIN

I HAVE ADDY IN A PRIVATE SWIMMING SCHOOL THAT SHE GOES TO ONCE A WEEK. WE DIDN'T GO TODAY BECAUSE SHE HAS A RUNNY NOSE AND COUGH. BUT IT IS HEATED AND I CAN GO MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK BECAUSE OF THE TIME LOST DURING THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS AFTER SURGERY. SO I DEFINELTY THINK THAT WILL HELP AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR HER TO GET OVER THIS COLD.

ALSO, YESTERDAY WE WERE AT MY MOM'S, WHO SEWS ALOT, AND SHE SAT THERE AND PLAYED WITH SOME YARN WITH BOTH HANDS GREAT. BUT IF I HOLD SOMETHING UP IN THE AIR FOR HER TO REACH OUT, SHE STILL WILL LEAN OVER TO THE SIDE AND REACH AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. THE SURGERY DEFINELTY HELPED THE TIGHTNESS UNDER HER LEFT ARM I CAN TELL WHEN WE DO EXERCISES, THAT IT IS VERY LOOSE. I GUESS SHE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT SHE CAN REACH STRAIGHT UP INTO THE AIR. I HAVE TO MAKE HER UNDERSTAND THAT. IF ANYONE HAS ANY CREATIVE IDEAS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK AGAIN

All children are different and it just may take more time for your child. I had my son in aqua therapy 2xs a week as soon as the splint came off. I think it really helped. I have to say it did take a few weeks before he really started "using" it and not protecting it soo much. Good Luck.