How Do you know if your CP Child has damaged a tendon?

For months now I have been wondering about Master Corbins right ankle. Over the past 18 months it has got increasingly "deformed" if you like and his ability to put weight on it without pain has all but vanished. Initially I thought the inward placement of his right foot was due to the changes in his pelvis as a result of ABR, but then the pain factor started becoming more regular and now I'm wondering whether something more is going on.

That leads to my question, how do you know if your CP child has done some damage to tendons or muscles?

What if the pain Corbin says he has is due to a torn tendon or ligament? Maybe it is it due to lack of use of the muscles, tendons etc. Or is it the "wrong place - wrong movement" scenario that we hear from our ABR legend Leonid Blyum. ie, The stress created on everything by using that limb (and foot) the wrong way when he does put weight on it.

I think I need to probe this thought a little further. What if there is some damage and I have been putting it down to Cerebral Palsy??? What if ..... 2 little words that cause us so much stress.

That leads me to another thought - I guess I'm at an advantage to some parents of CP children. Corbin at least can communicate his pain. What of the CP child that can't communicate and is in severe pain when they are forced by their parents and therapists who follow traditional therapies to weight bare on legs that are no where near capable of comfortably supporting the child. Does your non verbal CP child cry and complain when forced to stand in a standing frame for hours each day? Its probably because its extremely uncomfortable and is doing the child no good what so ever....

Food for thought

School Holidays Again

I've been rather slack with blogging over the past 7 months - its time to pull finger so to speak. So no time like the present as I take 5 minutes break from school holidays in our house.

I have 6 children today. 2 of my own, Master Corbin and Miss Livee, my nieces Ella and Abby from Christchurch, who are taking a break from the earthquakes, and our dear friend Alex, also taking a break from the earthquakes, but perhaps more importantly giving her mums ears a rest, plus we have Flynn as well. 4 are 10 year olds, 1 seven year old, and a six year old.

I must say they have been really good at entertaining themselves despite the weather(with a great deal of thanks to technology, ie playstations and ipods) so all good really - unfortunately however it is yet another excuse to have a break from ABR. Never mind tomorrow is another day.