United Brachial Plexus Network

Last week, I just met with someone who is very educated with muscles, myo-fascial release, and used to be a PT. After watching a video, he observed several things and was the first person to ever mention a concern about some shortening issues with the levator scapulae (a neck muscle) on the injured side. I knew he couldn't turn his head when younger but thought that was pretty much resolved. He said to pay attention to how he sleeps, and sure enough always with the head to the right. We keep trying to turn it to the left to get some stretch during the night but even in his sleep he soon moves it right back.

This injury is so frustrating. It always seems that something goes totally unnoticed and is not addressed when it should have been, or else something new pops up. It would have been nice if I was really addressing this for the last year and a half. The extent of this injury is so unacknowledged. Don't therapists realize how intricately connected the body is???

Has anyone else noticed this in their child? Anything that you are doing that is helping it? I can't help but believe this will lead to other issues and pain longterm.

Thanks,
Elisa

Hi Elisa,
Just wanted to share with you the wonderful results we have had since our PT started doing myo-fascial on Bradley. He literally falls asleep while she is doing it. It is so nice to finally see PT used in a way where my child is not crying tears of pain. About the tightening of the neck muscles, I'm guessing this is probably a very common thing with this injury. Bradley started off with torticollis on the right side, with stretching, it has gone away. Now he is doing the "Butt Scoot" His right arm is bent and he holds it up and in front of him almost all the time. The entire "left" side of his body is tightening up due to his position while he is scooting.Our PT said his hips are also very tight. I have to make sure he has pants on at all times (carpet burns). He also only sleeps on the left side of his body. I think it hurts him to sleep any other way. Man,what these babes go through. It's heart breaking. Luckily he is a very happy child. I think he has a very high tolerance to pain. No one knows your child better than you. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Our "other" PT did not believe me when I told her I thought Bradley was dislocated. I brought the x-rays in. She is now a listener. Thank-God. I was ready to drop her, she was giving me stress I did not need. I had to laugh when she said it was great that Bradleys scaplua was not winging. Well no wonder, he dislocated.

This was one of the first ones our therapist talked about, if I'm thinking of the right muscle or tendon. Garrett had a head tilt to the affected side and for awhile turned that way, sleep and other. The worry was the neck would tighten to the point that he wouldn't be able to side tilt ear to shoulder. They had us make sure he was turning his head to each side, chin over shoulder and holding. They also recommended the tilt ear toward shoulder which I couldn't stomach doing, remember traction did this in the first place. So therapist would do it for me 2x's a week. Both really stinky stretches especially having to hold him down at the shoulder then turn his chin away. He still tilts a little but I think that is just going to be natural for him. He sleeps both sides no real preferance and turns actively both ways. I try to keep his good toys, movies etc. to the unaffected side so he will look that way and stretch himself.