United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hello,

I have a 20 month old boy (ROBPI) who is extremely active and doesn't let us or his therapists do much weight bearing with him on his affected side.

Any ideas? I know how important weight bearing is in regards to bone growth, etc.

What kinds of games or activities have you all tried?

Thanks!!!!

We also have a 20 month old child (robpi) who does not like to weight bear on her affected side. We have been trying everything imaginable since she was really luck, but nothing has worked. Now that she is getting older, we try to make a game out of crawling around the house (which she still tries to cheat since she never crawled) or we climb around on the couch or an oversized bean bag. These are the only times we can get her to put a bit of weight on her arm/shoulder. Usually as soon as the weight is pushed to her affected side, she'll fall forward or head first because she can't support herself. I hope you get some great responses that will help us too.
Shannon

That should read "...since she was really young" (not luck)

my baby is much younger, so this may not work for you since your babies are so much more active, but the only thing that works for us is to put cheerios on his lobpi side just out of reach of his strong arm. Then I help him lean on his left arm (OBPI) and reach over his knees with his right to reach the cheerios. Hope that makes sense. Maybe it would work for you with french fries!

Dani!!!

How are you? I cannot believe it - he's 20 months already?! How time flies!

You know what's great? Go to Target and get one of those collapsable tunnels that kids can crawl through. We found Danny loved doing that as a baby. Also, you can play "doggie" and throw things and say, "OK, doggie, go get the newspaper (or whatever)!" to have him fetch things - just make a game of it.

To some degree, you can also play wheelbarrow. Now we always made sure to support Danny's trunk when we did that, so he wasn't putting too much weight on his arms. Maybe your husband can do that. But that's a fun game they like, too.

I'll try to think of more, but those are a few ideas, anyway. Good luck and keep in touch!

Janet

Janet,

Great idea about the tunnel! Ella and Hannah would love that and I have thought about getting it for them this Summer for outside in the grass, but never did it dawn on me to get it for Ella's arm! Thanks for the idea...I am gong to get one.

~Krista~

Our OT made a splint/brace (I have no idea what it is called - we call it a brace - but it is hard plastic and stops her from rolling her hand under and walking on her wrist) that has really helped. We no longer flinch when she crawls around and just gives her that extra bit of support.

Other than plastic tunnels, I have no idea what to suggest. Missy plays with the dog and crawls around after her. She is also Spidergirl. This kid will climb anything and everything (putting weight on the bpi arm is not an issue with us but doing it safely is).

I wonder if there are any water toys that would work now that summer is around the corner?

Good luck

-Ginne

One thing we used, still use is the ab wheel. It's the wheel with handle bars on the sides. Kids use it in a crawling motion. My daughter was not able to crawl, due to the lack of strength in her arm, but the wheel worked great. She would have a ball rolling it aroung the house. You can also play cat and mouse games using it. We also used, the big therapy or pilates ball and would roll her forward, on her belly, (holding her of course) and have her push off to roll back. We used a lot of play therapy, so Emily didn't realize that half the time it was therapy and not just playing.

Julie Wolfgram

Try finding horse therapy in your area. My daughter loves it and she doesnt even know that she is doing it. She looks like she is in a circus standing on the horse kneeling on the horse riding backwards and playing basket ball riding back wards on the horse. The two best for my little girl is horses and swimming therapies. She doesnt trust anyone either and you have to make it fun for her or she knows you are doing therapy. We have a tunnel and that is great also we have a scoot n peg from southpaw enterprises that she loves. Every child is different but we try to trick her and do things that she doesnt even know she is doing therapy.

good luck
the bugs daddy

Just chiming in with the water toys

we use the kick board, and Push it under the water.
"sticking" a toy on the end and making it float is fun. (infant toys like elmo and such with a suction cup on one end). We also made our own Dumb bells with 2 styrofome balls and a small piece of pvc pipe. Push these under the water and extend to the side,push down under water,and make "water angels" on back. Also the bath ABC's (foamy ones).....I throw and she swims to get them, and they stick well to the kick board. (learing ABC's during therapy).
We do "high 5's", this encourages arm to straighten, and lift from the water......
My little one is a girl, so we lift arms overhead and do the "princess" spin (ballerina)....of course she needs the uneffected arm to assist the affected....but,hey, whatever works to get arms overhead.....Basically, we just have a blast.
Oh yea.....she is always in a floaty vest.