AFO questions

If your child wears AFO's what is the reason? Have they helped? How long are they anticipating him or her wearing them? We just got ours, my son is a ideopathic toe walker with low tone. He receives ot and pt also. Thanks in advance!

Re: AFO questions

My DD wore them for 1 year due to idiopathic toe walking and they totally worked! She now has normal range in her heel cords and barely walks on her toes.

Re: AFO questions

Did she wear them all day? This gives me so much hope!! Thank you! Also how old was she when she wore them?

Message edited 9/12/2014 5:59:44 PM.

Re: AFO questions

She started wearing them at 3yr2months and wore them until 4yrs1month. I put them on her every morning around 7:00 then took them off for her 1:00pm nap. She slept until 4:00 and I let her go without them for them remainder of the evening. We started her nighttime routine at 7:00pm. She also received PT. She still receives PT and is doing fairly well. She is a huge sensory seeker and has very flat, pronated feet. I think she liked being up on her toes for proprioceptive input and for stability. Her toe walking was so bad she was on her toes more than 90% of the time. Because she was always on her toes she was always off balance she was a walking disaster. Her gross motor skills were pretty delayed. Telling her to walk with her heels down did nothing to correct the problem. The AFOs helped significantly.

Message edited 9/12/2014 6:35:29 PM.

Re: AFO questions

Ds also walks on his toes 90% of time, so I am glad to hear it has helped. His gross motor skills are also delayed. Thank you so much for answering my questions. Did you see an orthopedist? We are and are also seeing Dr. Semel, a doctor of physical therapy. She's amazing!

Message edited 9/12/2014 7:38:24 PM.

Re: AFO questions

We also use dr semel. She is amazing!

Re: AFO questions

My son has been wearing SMOs since just before his first birthday. They are the ankle high version. He wears them because he is very low tone and has ankle pronation. He's 3 now, and we have no end point in site other than the possibility of converting to higher AFOs because he has low tone cerebral palsy and they have suggested a higher brace would help him. My son wears them for just about the entire day, other then when he's in PT. I don't see much difference in his ankles with the brace he wears which is the other reason they were thinking of changing him to an AFO.

Message edited 9/13/2014 4:19:05 PM.

AFO questions

My son also wears the high ones. There is no time line for my sons either. He has tight achilles & toe walks on Right foot. I feel they help tremendously.