Serial casting is a process where you gradually stretch a joint with a series of casts to hopefully prevent contractions. I have braces for both elbows, ankles, wrists and fingers. Our plan is to serial cast my left elbow, left wrist, both hands and fingers. You could practically immobilize my whole upper body.
My OT and I started working on my left elbow today (see picture). We started about a month ago but I was hospitalized and lost all the gain in mobility. So it’s back to square one.
The tone has been relentless in my body for the past 3 1/2 years. The baclofen pump dispensing the muscle relaxer baclofen has been useless. It’s sad because the tone inhibits my ability to take steps and feed myself. About a year ago, I was able to walk over 200 feet with the platform walker. Now I can’t take a step. Any effort I give doing something amps up the tone.
The cast is definitely cumbersome. It covers my driving arm which makes it a challenge to drive the joystick in the wheelchair. I have had no accidents so far.
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