Therapy

William needed physiotherapy as soon as he had recovered from his operation to remove the original tumour. He could no longer sit up straight, or use his right arm and leg co-ordinately. Therefore, the initial physiotherapy involved trying to regain balance and then strengthening his leg muscles. The co-ordination of his arms and legs would eventually come back with physiotherapy and as the nerves in his brain repaired themselves. William had to involve his right arm and hand as much as he could but he was reluctant to do this at first and his arm was almost redundant. He needed a lot of encouragement to use his arm as, whenever he tried, it would wave about in the opposite direction and this proved to be very frustrating for him. Whenever William tried to walk, with support, his right foot would think the ground was 8 inches higher than it actually was.

William’s physiotherapist helped him to correct his posture by getting him to look into a mirror so he could see how he was sitting and also by working on balance exercises.  As he became stronger he was able to sit upright again. Then it was time to concentrate on his walking. William had to carry out a series of leg exercises designed to strengthen his legs and back each day. The radiotherapy treatment tired William out and it was hard for him but he persevered. It was extremely important to get William to walk a few steps each day. His gross motor skills were improving significantly. He started to acknowledge his right arm and hand and with many exercises, including throwing/catching a ball and clenching a soft ball numerous times, he was using his hand without consciously thinking about it. Another incentive for William was the fact he wanted to play on his Playstation2 and he needed his right hand for this! William soon progressed to improving his fine motor skills.

Within a few months William was able to stand and take a few steps on his own. Hydrotherapy helped William to strengthen both his arms & legs. He enjoyed being able to swim again, an activity he really loved. The use of an adult sized trike also contributed to building up William’s leg muscles. William’s occupational therapist helped him to regain almost normal function of his right hand although by now he had taught himself to write with his left hand, a most remarkable achievement and indicative of his determination.