Knee Pain in 10 year old girl with Downs Syndrom

[nickTingle]

Hi
 I have a 10 year old daughter who has been complaining of
knee and leg pain more and more recently.
She has Downs Syndrome and in common with this she has
loose joints, and tendency to walk slightly on her toes.
 There are medical terms for all of these conditions
which you will be aware of but I cant remember.
Maybe corrective footware and / or a course of physio
would be a good idea.
Does anyone have experience with treating/managing
knee pain in people with Downs syndrome
I think there are is a common combination of problems
to do with lax joints and a tendency to walk slightly on the toes
(There is also a medical for this) which may be helped by
biomechanical analysis and orthotics but I am not sure where to
go for advice.
 We live in the south west of the UK

Nick



 

[weirdknees]

Hey,

I don't know much about Down's Syndrome, but have a slight disability that effects the way I walk, I also suffer from knee and leg pain.  Your daughter might benefit from getting orthotics, if you can, visit a private orthotist who can make custom orthotics or footware for your daughter by looking at her gait and feet.  Physiotherapy would also be of benefit to help strengthen certain muscles, especially if she has hypotonia (low muscle tone), and get your daughter's weight back on her heels.  You should be able to get this on the NHS, if you visit her GP to get referred.  If you want a private physiotherapist, they can usually be found on the web, they will book you in for an assessment or consultation.  I don't know what type of physiotherapy would be beneficial for your daughter, but make sure it is a pediatric physiotherapist, as they work with children. 

This site might help a bit in finding a physiotherapist http://www.physiodirectory.com/index.php - if you select the county that you live in, it should show some physiotherapists in your area and the expertise they have.