Paraplegic Muscle Advice

[alophysio]

hi Brad,

Has anyone detailed exactly what muscle strength you have? We physios tend to use Florence Kendall's Muscle Testing and Function book as a reference for muscle tests.

It is has a big chart of all the muscles of your hips and legs which should be checked carefully since you are an incomplete para.

For obvious reasons, it is nearly impossible to exercise muscles which do not have any nerves to them.

Balance is a really complicated, whole body task. So many things go into it getting your balance right that there are people with complete spines that have trouble!

From your story above, it seems that when you have your knees bent, you are able to balance better but when you straighten your knees, you lose balance right? If so, then your hips have more load to control - the straightening of the legs means that you now have a long lever on which you hips have to control - and this without the knee muscles being able to help you much. It may be that your hip and ankle/foot muscles are all there and just need to get stronger or you are missing muscles that should be working together as a team and so you lose balance.

Now i am from the school which thinks you practice it anyway, even if it is paralysed, because who knows, one day a nerve might grow into the right muscle...so you need to find ways to try learn what you can do, what you can'[t do and what you need to do and go from there

Hope that helps

Cheers!

[bradjhicks]

Yes they have but only in a very basic way. They would put pressure on a part of my leg and ask me to push away. Maybe we dont use the Florence Kendall's Muscle Testing and Function book here in the UK. I should mention that i haven't seen a physio for about 6 years as we seemed to have exhausted all the progress.

Correct, as soon as i stand up legs straight, i tend (start) to fall backwards if that indicates anything? I know i have hamstring muscle control but they are quite weak and i dont seem to be able to strengthen them. I dont think i have any ankle movement. Since the accident the calf area of my leg has lost a lot of mass. Are there any exersizes you could recommend that exercise the ankle/calf a little just to stimulate them in someway. Same for hips. I try and do squats but, because i need to hold onto something due to lack of balance, i'm not sure if my form is good.

Thanks very much for your response. It is much appriciated.