prisc1125

hi mhitch,
Ditto to many of the things Lastramy mentioned in her post. My ortho has stressed time and again how important stretching is for me -- perhaps above other conditioning -- as the potential for contractures is so great.

I am 35 and have mild spastic diplegia CP. My lower extremities are more of the problem for me: hips, hamstrings, calves, and the entire foot/ankle complex. (I am very independent and active but am at the mercy of spasticity daily). Even though the spasticity is ever-present and resistant, stretching is needed to give the muscles that small opportunity to relax and lengthen. It is not a position the muscles know well so it is essential that they get that chance. As Lastramy said, the spasticity puts the muscles into a shortened state which eventually can lead to contractures. Contractures are a permanently shortened muscle that tugs on surrounding ligaments, tendons, and bones. Bones can become deformed by the continuous tension of these connective tissues. The pain associated with shortened muscles is uncomfortable and often the only solution becomes surgery (had 4 myself on my feet in the last 4 yrs).

At your son's age too, having a PT on the team is important because, in addition to the various modalities a PT uses for treatment, he/she is trained to know how much your son is progressing. Yes, it is very costly to have this ongoing treatment and with CP, it can go on forever. But I suppose at critical junctures (e.g., growth spurts) having these extra trained eyes can help guide you and your son about what makes sense.

By all means stretching at home is most critical to keep ROM decent. Having only come to all this as an adult (ie got the dx four yrs ago too), I cannot say what a wise combination is needed between home maintenance and visiting a PT regularly for children. I can only assume that stretching is that much more important.

Hope this helps!

Cheers
Prisc1125