Christopher is a 15 year old boy with Down's syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. He was admitted into hospital with pain in his left thigh affecting his ability to transfer out of his wheelchair and walk in his frame. Christopher underwent investigations to establish the cause of his symptoms; these thankfully appeared to be normal. However, on assessment, Christopher was found to have weak muscles around his hips and pelvis which had caused deterioration in his gait.
Christopher had a course of intensive hydrotherapy and physiotherapy as an inpatient. Hydrotherapy consisted of exercises in the therapy pool using the properties of water to aid his functional ability and improve his strength. Physiotherapy treatment included stretches to his hips and knees, increasing their range of movement, strengthening exercises, postural work and gait re-education. Throughout Christopher's rehabilitation several pieces of equipment were needed to help him get back on his feet.
Sam is a 10 year old boy from Alderley Edge in Cheshire. He is currently undergoing Ilizarov correction for a left foot deformity. Ilizarov is a surgical procedure involving a metal frame attached to the outside of the limb - it is most often used to lengthen or reshape limb bones. Sam's frame was put on in March 09 and was removed after approximately 4 months. During that time he attended physiotherapy sessions once a week at the hospital.
Sophie is a 15 year old girl who is a member of the Great Britain Martial Arts team. Whilst competing in Sweden she overstretched when warming up and felt that she had injured her hamstring. Following assessment, it was discovered she had actually sustained an avulsion-type fracture in which the muscle pulls off a fragment of bone - a feature of children's muscle injuries. Physiotherapy treatment consists of electrotherapy to promote healing as well as muscle strengthening and stretching. Due to the nature and standard of Sophie's sport her physiotherapy treatment is intense - stretching is to the extreme and muscles have to be worked to their maximum to see an improvement. Having the right equipment not only improves Sophie's treatment but also distracts her from the pain and hard work necessary for full recovery.
