We had are first actual visit with Mikes new OT. He is great and it is nice to have someone who is looking at Mike for the first time and coming up with new ideas to tackle the tightness in both of Mikes arms and in his fingers on his left hand. Mike didn't have OT for a couple of months and I brought up the tone to his neurologist who referred him to another physiatrist who referred him to the OT department at the Rehab of St. Louis. They have already fitted him for new splints that we will put on his arms and crank open to stretch his muscles out in the arms and he tried dipping Mikes hand in peraphin wax to loosen up the fingers before stretching which really had good results after only one time. These are both things that weren't even tried or mentioned while he was going to OT before. The OT before did try to fashion a splint but it really didn't work because it wasn't strong enough to keep Mikes arm in an open position. These new splints will be much stronger and have a crank that will gradually open up the arm and allow us to stretch them for about a half an hour or so at a time.

Wish us luck, I think if Mike could get more extension in his arms then he would be able to do more ADL's on his own. He has alot of movement but the tightness from the shortening of his muscles when they weren't moving has kept him from having full use of them.

Tina