The hamstring muscles are very important muscles for running and walking because they pull our legs back in flexion. The hamstrings (posterior thigh muscles) are made up of three long muscles that start at the bottom of your pelvis extending down the back of your thigh and along either side of your knee, to your shin bones.
If a person is confined to a wheelchair and the muscles are shortened, they pull the lower leg back under the pelvic, and will pull the upper body back. So a person will have more problems straightening out their legs and will have problems leaning forward to bend their hips. This becomes a great problem with wheelchair seating and positioning, because the knees and hips will lose range of motion and the person will sit poorly, increasing the risk for pressure sores and skeletal deformities, creating pain and diminishing the quality of life.
A very encouraging article was publish recently in the International Journal of Rehabilitation, December 2009 where five non-ambulatory children with Cerebral Palsy were put in standing frames for one hour, five days a week, showing significantly lengthened hamstrings over the six week period. They also concluded that they expected to see greater lengthening of the hamstrings or straightening of the legs and better hip ROM, if the children stood for longer times and had consistent standing programs into the future.
Find abstracts for this article “The use of standing frames for contracture management for nonmobile children with cerebral palsy” and other related research studies.
Has standing helped reduces contractures in your child with Cerebral Palsy? Are you a therapist that found this research study helpful?
Photo Courtesy: Mr. Thomas
I read your most recent email regarding to Research studies on Standing. the article that best describes Daniel during birth to 3 was the one titled Spontaneous fractures in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Description of Daniel’s disabilities also fall into other parts of these research studies.
Since age 2 Daniel stands everyday in a upright stander. Easystand is his 3rd stander. He went from prone, to Rifton upright, then to Easystand. Within the last few years, he has been standing up to 3 hours a days, 7 days a week. He currently still uses his EasyStand 5000. The reason I don’t have any video of him in the EasyStand, because I made a lot of funky modifications to it to accomodate his needs. This includes putting an old Rifton Potty chair oversized-tray over the existing tray, because it is bigger and allow his elbows to be on it to hold him up standing better. Daniel has a youtube channel showing all the different things he does to prevent surgeries. He has 80-degree scoliosis and wears a TLSO.
I am just wondering how can someone like Daniel to be part of those studies to show standing is very important. To prove my point, since his public school would not allow him to stand upright, at 16, he only goes to school for 2.5 hr. He stands before and after school. He does everything in his stander.
You can see Daniel at his weakest when he is on the floor @ http://www.youtube.com/user/walkingdan#p/a/u/2/lDRlv2ldTLo.
You can also see the Easystand 5000 he uses at home in his slideshow on Youtube @ http://www.youtube.com/user/walkingdan#p/u/11/5_mJhV3CqXE
I really think Daniel is an good example of what the severe spastic-quad with Cerebral Palsy can be help with standing. Daniel only uses PT for consultation to acquire equipment. I do all his daily therapies.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your great comments and videos about Daniel. You must be very proud of his progress. Regarding research studies, often people who participate in the studies are asked if they want to participate by their clinician who is conducting the study. If you have more questions, you can email me directly at jackie@easystand.com
Thank you Jackie.
my 3month old daughter has the flexion contracture at both the ellbow joint.kindly advise
Hi Seema
Why standing can be effective with releasing contractures is the person can get a long sustained strong stretch on the muscles and ligaments in the legs. So you should talk to your MD of PT to look for solutions for your daughter’s arms.
I whish you and your daughter the best.