Guest guest Posted June 23, 2003 Report Share Posted June 23, 2003 Reema, It is my opinion, (and this is just an opinion) that you may feel uncomfortable when first taking your AFOs off, but that feeling (for me at least) subsides. I feel that you gain strength by not abusing muscles and joints while wearing AFOs! You did not mention whether your AFOs were " articulated " , in other words had a joint at your ankle which allows limited flexion of your foot but will not allow rolling to either side. I think some in fixed AFOs may lose some calf muscle from non use, but those who can use articulated AFOs will retain this function longer. Jim Nash West Liberty, Ohio, USA What about your " experience " with AFOs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 I have had AFOs for a year now, fixed at the ankle to prevent me from tripping, and because my balance is so bad. My experience is that my legs HAVE become weaker. But, I haven't fallen in a very long time, and I used to fall a lot! I wear my AFOs when I leave the house, but when I'm home I leave them off to force myself to use the muscles I'm not using when I wear them. My advice is to leave the AFOs off when it's safe to leave them off. Exercise without them - meaning stretching, etc, and try to keep your muscles as strong as you can. But never sacrifice your safety. It's hard enough for me to get around with muscle weakness, I can't imagine what it would be like if I had a broken ankle or leg from not protecting myself. For me, AFOs are a necessity, and I have to accept the side-effects. The best analogy I can think of is that if I had high blood pressure, I wouldn't stop taking the medicine just because it made me drowsy. For a look at Rehabilitation Management of CMT, try this book http://www.aicmt.org/books.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 Reema, I have had the same concern with my AFOs. Somewhere I heard that once you start wearing the AFOs, muscles aided by them will become weaker. It made sense to me since those muscles don't have to work so hard to maintain balance, etc. I would be curious to know how others feel about this. I knew when I started to need AFOs, but surprisingly, I didn't find I always needed to use them. I save them for days when I know I have to accomplish a lot. If a lot of standing isn't required for a chore, I leave them off. If I have a day where I am feeling particularly weak, I wear them all day. I'm not sure if these strategies are helpful in maintaining my leg strength, but I hope so. AFOs have increased the quality of my life by allowing me to do more when I need to. At the same time, I will leave them off as much as possible in order to continue using all of my muscles. A time may come when I will need the AFOs everywhere I go, but that day has not yet come. In the meantime, I will play it by ear! I hope this is helpful. Danita ----- Original Message ----- From: reema bansal Sent: Monday, June 23, 2003 1:34 PM Subject: AFOs dependency? Hello everyone, I recently got AFOs. They are tailor-made. Everyday, I practise walking in them for sometime. But when i take them off, I feel uncomfortable. So, I am scared that if I get used to AFOs, I might not be able to manage without them at all. Otherwise, I was somehow managing without AFOs as well. I want to try them in hope of improving my gait. I have grave balancing problems. Also, will the AFOs make me dependent on them? Till now, there was no 'external' support for my body except occassional help by friends. With thanks Reema Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 You're right , not wearing your AFOs is a dangerous thing!! I had fixed AFOs and wouldn't wear them regularly because of the discomfort and that feeling of losing strength. Then I took the big fall and now I have hinged AFOs. They don't seem to be affecting my strength level. I guess I was kind of a self-imposed trial for the pros/cons of the two types. I really like my new articulated (as Jim says) ones. I suddenly feel like I have my life back. I haven't felt this good in almost 20 years. P.S. I'm pretty good about the blood pressure medicine tho, I guess the really big one scares me more. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 I look at AFOs the way I look at eye glasses. They are just tools to help us. I don't know of anyone who wears eye glasses without good reason. Usually people squint, hold reading material closer or farther away, and otherwise try to avoid getting them for as long as possible. I had a nearsighted friend who even walked into trees and people before she finally decided she couldn't put it off any longer and got a prescription for glasses. A male friend was the same, too vain to get glasses until he started bumping into things. When people finally do decide to get a pair it's because they NEED them, not to make a fashion statement. Our other life tools are the same, be they orthotics, AFOs, hearing aids, or whatever. We don't get them until we are almost desperate for help. People get AFOs because their legs or ankles are becoming weak, or because they fall often, not because they are lazy. CMT is progressive. It will continue to progress, although the rate of progression varies widely from one person to another. By the way, I think it's great that Harry Potter wears glasses because now kids think of them as cool. It must be a relief for children who need to wear eye glasses to correct their vision. :-)) Kat Seattle WA USA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 I have had CMT for over 15 years, and only just recently got serious about taking care of myself. As a result, I have gotten in touch with MDA, and as soon as next week, I may be fitted for AFOs. I think I need the support, because of the fact that I spend so much time on my feet. I have problems with tripping, caluses, hammer toes, etc. I also get back fatigue, and foot pain from trying to just stand upright! It seems to me that the benefits outweigh the risks. I also wear glasses, and it seems like pride would be a dumb reason to miss all the things I CAN do with them- to ever go without them... Anyway, I remember too well how cruel kids can be, but I always try to picture them as adults now bumping into trees... so it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.