Re: Re: boots

[Guest guest]

Hi and welcome!

First off, I see some things in your post that tell me you've not

been given a whole lot of information about this. The tenotomy,

about 85% of clubfeet need this minor procedure. Second, the boots

and bar are worn for 3 months 23/7 (one hour out each day) after

corrective casting. 1 month is not long enough and you do get that

one hour out each day. Third, the feet should be fully corrected

before going to the boots and bar. This means, if you think your

daughters foot needs to get straighter, her feet are not corrected.

The shoe does NOT correct clubfoot at all. It's only purpose is to

maintain a corrected foot. It will not make your child's foot

straighter and should not be used if she isn't fully corrected.

In the old days, clubfoot was treated in many different ways, most of

which did not work. There were many methods to fix the feet that

mostly included some kind casting or splinting which forced the foot

into a normal position (if possible). None of this worked and

clubfoot people remained clubbed their entire life. Come the medical

era, the past century mostly and surgeries became common. Surgery

has come a long way since they first started using it to correct CF

but even today children (babies) who have surgery are left with stiff

and painful feet that most often need additional surgeries as they

grow older. It is not uncommon to have multiple surgeries before the

child enters the teen years even. I know of one 9 year old boy who

just had his 14th surgery.

With the Ponseti Method, more than 95% of the feet treated never need

any surgery. BUT... it has to be done properly. Unfortunately the

things I see in your post tell me that something is not right and

wasn't done properly. We can help you though, there is a light at

the end of the tunnel and it's fabulous! Your daughter CAN have a

perfectly straight foot that has no pain. It sounds like we need to

find out where you are located so that someone can refer you to a

local Ponseti doc who can give you a second opinion on her foot. We

have members around the world who have personal experience with great

docs, so let us know where you're at and someone will pipe up with a

recommendation.

In the meantime, is there more you can tell us about her treatment so

far? Tell us about the casts, what they looked like and how that

went for you. Who is your current doctor? How did her foot look at

birth? What does it look like now? If you have any pictures that

would help quite a bit too. How does she act in the brace? (I assume

she's none too happy)

I will send you a copy of the tips file which will help you understan

how to put the brace on properly and make your child comfortable,

BUT... and this is a huge BUT... if her foot is not corrected the

brace will only cause more problems and make your sweet little baby

girl unhappy and possibly in pain. So let's find out first if she's

corrected fully and go from there as far as bracing. You can't put

the brace on an uncorrected foot. Don't even try. It's not worth

it, more pain than help there if this is the case.

Kori

At 12:52 AM 7/21/2006, you wrote:

>--

>hi my baby's ortho said that massage can really help a lot. i wonder in

>olden times how did they cure clubfoot? hows you baby'f feet now? did

>he do tenotomy? is this necessary for all? my daughter same case like

>your son.. its unilateral left clubfoot. no surgery or tenotomy was

>done on her.be worn 24 hours a day for one month? can this shoe really

>help? what can this shoe do? will it make her feet straighter/????

>

>- In

><mailto:nosurgery4clubfoot%40yahoogroups.com>nosurgery4clubfoot \

,

> " lissymatson "

>wrote:

> >

> > Hi my boys 3months and was in casts for first 6 six weeks for club

> > foot in his right foot, we got the boots for a month after the casts

> > then where put back in a cast for 3 weeks and now we are back to the

> > boots. i onlyput themon him at night time to sleep in as they are

> > uncomfortable for him. just wondering about massage and stuff i

> > haven't had much information from my specialist, most things i have

> > just found out by looking on the net.

> >

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

sorry for not responding sooner.

I am going to send you a copy of the tips file, which will show you

how to put the shoes on so they don't hurt.

But here's a couple things I'm seeing from your post that worry me.

First, it's imperative that he wear his shoes and bar 23 hours a day

for three months. Then, you gradually reduce the hours over the

first year so that by the time he's waking (at or around a year,

12-14mo's approximately) he is at 12-14 hours per day. No child who

is not walking should only wear them at night, the bracing is your

only insurance against relapse and you absolutely must brace him long

hours in the first year. Especially right out of the gate from

casting. 23/7 for three months, then you can start reducing a couple

of hours at a time every 2-3 months after he gets through the full time wear.

It sounds like he got sores initially from the shoes. This is caused

by the brace not being set up properly, the feet not getting into the

shoes properly, the feet not being fully corrected, or the

possibility that his feet are complex (the white shoes are NOT for

complex feet and should not be used).

ok, so I'm going to send you the file and we'll go from there. It

would help us to help you troubleshoot this if you could tell us more

about his treatment so far. About his casts, what did they look

like? (got any pictures?) About his Doctor, who is the doc and

where are you located? About his feet at birth, and if possible

pictures of his feet now. We're not doctors, but we do know what a

corrected foot looks like and if it looks like it needs additional

correction we can help you find a doctor who will be able to do that

properly.

Let us know a little more and we'll get you through this. It will

get better, promise!

Kori

>- In

><mailto:nosurgery4clubfoot%40yahoogroups.com>nosurgery4clubfoot \

,

> " lissymatson "

>wrote:

> >

> > Hi my boys 3months and was in casts for first 6 six weeks for club

> > foot in his right foot, we got the boots for a month after the casts

> > then where put back in a cast for 3 weeks and now we are back to the

> > boots. i onlyput themon him at night time to sleep in as they are

> > uncomfortable for him. just wondering about massage and stuff i

> > haven't had much information from my specialist, most things i have

> > just found out by looking on the net.

> >

>

>