abnormal gait and hyper mobile

[kimlo]

dd2 has been going to orthopaedics because of an abnormal gait since she was 2 she is now 4. she was slow on developing her gross motor skills she didnt sit until 10 months and didnt walk until 20.

the last time she saw him he said that she was hypermobile and refered her to a neurologist.

does any one have any experience? what sort of thing might they be looking for?

Hi Kimlo - DD1 is hypermobile and didn't walk until 4 days after her 2nd birthday. She is now 2 years 8 months and walking, climbing and running around like others her age. The Doctor said hypermobility means their joints are extra flexible so they walk later as it takes longer for them to get the muscle strength to support the bendy joints.

I don't understand why your DD has been referred to a neurologist - that is a nerve speciallist isn't it? What is her walking like now? My DD used to bend her ankles slightly inwards but they are almost straight now so look normal.

she walks with one of her legs kicking out to the side, and her ankles roll inwards.

Im not sure what they are looking for either her appointment is this morning I'm nervous but shes looking forward to it because the hospital has a play area

Dd2 is hypermobile/ abnormal gait, and has always been under neurologist, but hers is caused by cerebral palsy (she suffered hypoxia due to birth injury which caused brain damage).

Mostly, straightforward hypermobility is EDS (there is a thread on sn children that you might want to search) so they may be referring to neurology to rule out neurological causes iykwim - maybe due to birth history? They will have looked at the whole picture.

Dd2 had Piedro stability boots with neuro insoles, they helped a lot. The orthopaedic team were a bit pants. Physio was always going to be her lifeline (and then OT). She skis black runs now, but she still has an abnormal gait. She intends to compete in the Paralympics...

My DD1 is hypermobile with an abnormal gait - she in-toes a lot - Is under Physio's & Podiatry teams because of it. She also has High Functioning Autism with social communication difficulties and unders camhs for that.

My ds is 10 and hyper mobile. He loves sport but is quite week and as a result of the hyper mobility always will be , he finds it difficult to write for long periods as his wrists really ache. Look up ehlers dan
Is syndrome as my son has a mild version of this as does my niece . Main symptoms for him are hyper mobility and a vet soft skin with can scar even with the smallest of scratches but the worst symptom they can get is heart problems thankfully my ds is fine . I had no idea about this till he was 7 and my 9 year old niece was diagnosed . Sure it's not but worth a check .

My DD1 was discharged at 2.5 and the paediatricians said they didn't need to see her anymore and her walking was within the normal range (though I think her ankles still bend slightly inwards). Had a blood test and heart scan and no heart problems and EDS not mentioned. Her muscles seem to be getting a lot stronger and she can do the same things as non hypermobile kids. Though I notice DD2 is stronger than her and is only just turned one.

Let us know how you get on at the doctors/neurologist.

the doctor today has said that she is very hypermobile but there isnt an under lying neurological cause so he doesnt want to see her again. He is going to refer her to a physiotherapist and says that they will want to give her boots to support her ankles and its vack to orthopaedics in October.

apparently this is the reason she gets tired easily and needs a lot of sleep he said she is working hardr than everybody else. He has also suggested swimming because apparently she wont build up enough strength on dry land. Unfortunately she hates swimming and shes 6 months too young to start lessons at the local pool. I should have asked at the time but didn't think do you think yoga to build up her core strength might help?

You said she loves play areas - stuff like soft play is excellent for developing strength! Take her to the park as much as possible, and let her run around.

It is worth asking for a referral to an occupational therapist too, as they will be able to help with the fine motor skills she may have problems with.

ds still gets tired fairly easily, but has become stronger as he has got older.

I'll keep taking her to those sort.of things as often as possible and encourage ger to.keep trying with her bike she gets frustrated at the moment because she finds the peddles a bit difficult. The swimming I will just keep persevering with it cant do.me any harm either

All standard EDS type issues - have a look at the thread on here, join it, and they'll give you lots of ideas.

We did swimming, horse riding, and ballet to improve dd2's tone and core stability. She uses a keyboard for writing at school for speed - her low tone and hypermobility meant that it was very hard work!! (We found a ballet teacher that would take her - it is singularly been the best thing for her in the eyes of her physio)

Good news that there isn't a neuro cause, but the symptoms are still the same, and need managing the same.

Glad no neurological cause. DD1 had supportive boots from age 2 to around 2.6 - I got them 2nd hand from a lovely Mumsnetter in fact as the NHS wouldn't give them to her as they said she was not bad enough to need them. They helped her start walking and now she doesn't use them and has normal shoes. She really wants to start ballet and I have promised her she can after her 3rd birthday in April.