It looks like a torture video

We took Zack to Brainwave this week for some extra help with physio. The place itself is only down the road  so it made a change not having to drive hundreds of miles for some therapy. 

Errrm where are we again?

Oh God there is no escape.

Brainwave offers a tailored programme of physiotherapy and we went for a two day assessment. They put together a short programme of exercises for us to do at home with Zack and assessed where he was in terms of his development.


It was really good to have a physio and occupational therapist for two full days just with Zack. I say two full days, but young man decided that he would take two naps throughout the day. 


It became clear that Zack is completely unaware that the things at the end of his arms are his hands and that he can use these to his advantage. His head control was good but he has a lot of stiffness in his hips and is stiffer in his right side than his left. The exercises we have combine stretching with play. At first I was a little unsure as to why we were doing similar exercises that I do with our NHS physio but by the end of the second day everything was much clearer and I now understand why we are doing what we are doing and to what affect this may have on Zack. 


Now the boy on the other hand was not at all happy being put through his paces. The first half of the DVD shows him screaming and crying his way through the stretches, it looks like a torture video. He was crying because his body hadn't been put into these stretches before and they were uncomfortable. The second half of the DVD he was much happier although at one point we had to stop filming as he decided he wanted to have a sleep. 


Before we left we were given all the equipment we needed to complete the therapy which included a new gym ball that smells like cat litter and a foam wedge for his tummy time, which by the way he is very good at. 


The overall idea is that the therapy will help Zack to decrease his stiffness in his legs, begin to roll and move around on the floor and to play with his hands open. We go back in six months for an assessment and tweaks to the programme to take into account any changes.  


We've tried the programme twice at home, he still cries through the stretches but I've learnt to ignore them, after all it's for his benefit.


Next weekend is Halloween and boy have we got a great costume this year, but you'll all have to wait for the pictures. What a cruel parent I am.