Hey, you know me - questions, questions, questions. Yeah, I'm a bit of a nag - I get that from a lot of folks. But I am the kind of person that won't stop asking them until I get real and substantiated answers. For instance:
QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS!!!!
(To be heard loudly, with an echo effect)
- Can the atrophied muscles of the lower leg as found in club feet ever be built up? That is, does the amount or type of exercise done ever truly result in any improvement to this musculature? because from what I have seen, the answer is a resounding "NO". But if that is indeed the answer, then it begs the next question:
- Why?
- And if the answer is in fact no, then the next question is, can continued hard exercise lead to an eventual breakdown of those muscles, as might be seen, for example, in post-polio syndrome?
QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS!!!!
(To be heard loudly, with an echo effect)
My calf muscles were hard as rocks when I first started seeing my chiropractor. They were not atrophied, but were solid from a build up of scar tissue from miss use. My chiropractor spent a lot of time doing graston on my whole leg, and active release therapy(ART) on all of my leg joints. At one point he even sent me for contemporary acupuncture.
ReplyDeleteIt would really be interesting to find out how it all works (I don't fully understand the mechanics behind graston and ART), I just know that it does wonders for me, and my feet and legs feel so much better after.
For the last two years I have been my chiropractor's experiment, we go into great detail as to how my body moves when doing activities, and when my feet hurt. It has been a wonderful experience, I am very thankful to have such an open line of communication with him, and the fact that he hasn't given up on making things more bearable!
In Paraphrased Form, this is what I was told by a Rheumatologist and Orthopaedic Surgeon at same appointment:
ReplyDelete"Every Cell in our body starts as a stem cell, and when we are forming our cells our divided and multiplied to serve different purposes. Stem Cells for calf muscle, heart muscle, hair growth, etc... Well- in someone with CF there is often a decrese in the number of Muscle Stem Cells for the lower leg. Then, when those Stem Cells are inactivated (IE- lack of use in womb and after birth due to casting, not walking, etc...) the body begins to THINK that we do not need those Cells, so it starts to reduce the number of Muscle Stem Cells that are created in the early years of life. Hence, the # of S.C. needed to create full calf muscles is less than that of a Normal person. So even when we are able to use the legs, and activate those muscle growth cells, there aren't many to work with. The calves are destined to be a certain size, and cannot build themselves up. Stem Cells cannot be regenerated."
Does that make sense? I am not sure if it is total B.S. But, I have mentioned it to other Physicians and they seem to nod in concurrence. Let me know what you think!
Elizabeth
Hmm - hadn't heard that theory, but it does make sense. I will do some research to see whether there is something that can substantiate that, just to "work the problem," as we say in the "bidness."
ReplyDeleteThe fact is that very little research has been done on this condition. Some cases seem to be genetic, since families do show the syndrome in fathers and sons. But some are not, as the case of Mental Detector shows so clearly. We need more study on this.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, but Elizabeth's doctors' theory seem strange to me. Can you really modify by chance or lack of use genetic information? It seems far fetched to me.
I've known that some doctors explain CF and other deformities as a result of amniotic bands preventing growth, i.e. an external factor. But I've never heard of a spontaneous change of stem cells. But, of course, what do I know? It could very well be so. (I'm a linguist, and wouldn't know the theories about genes).
PS. I'm so glad I can TALK about CF with other clubbies (I love this name!)! : ))))))
I forgot to address Motumbo s questions.
ReplyDeleteI am 72 years old and have exercised and had a lot of physical therapy all my (72 years of) life, and my calf muscles did not develop. The other muscles are fine.
And yes, I have now and since I was 65 or so something that I used to call "post polio like syndrom". It just happened and does not get better with treatment (phisio).
I read some about growing old with a disability in the Rancho de los Amigos (California) site and it sure sounds just like what I have now.
i have the same condition the best thing i found was to stretch everyday. It is a long process but what is inhibiting calve growth is that your legs is not getting full extension in the ankle. Massage the stress points in your foot as much as possible to relax the foot because club feet effect the proper way to walk unbalancing your other muscles.
ReplyDelete