For those curling toes

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Nuts

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We've tried a variety of devices to straighten Matt's toes--all in vain until now. The OT at Duke suggested Yoga toe spreaders. These are a jell material, so they are soft and stretch a bit, They do gently straighten those toes. Working up to 10 minutes a day (found them on Amazing Amazon).

Becky
Queen of Everything (even curly fries and curly toes)
 

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That is way cool, thanks for sharing the photo!
 
Looks like you're starting a new trend, Becky. I can't wait to get mine! The curly toes are not fun at all.

Now, what about the curly fingers?
 
Azgirl, I've not seen any finger spreaders :). Actually, Matt was given a small, very light, finger splint for the curing finger. It's not big like one for an injury, but very thin (the OT had a box of them). She also advised him to spread his hands flat on a table top or even his thighs throughout the day to stretch them.

The thing is, you end up spending the entire day doing all of the individual therapies that need to be done!!!

Becky
 
They had me get these huge hand/finger splints. They are extremely hot and uncomfortable. Noticed that there are some of those same yoga things for fingers and I may give them a try. I get tired of asking people to straighten out my fingers!
 
That's really cool. Wish I had thought of it for my dad.
 
Here is the finger splint. It's on my hand, so it's too big, but you can get the idea. Very light. I love those folks at Duke...
 

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I'd be really interested to see that finger splint an a PALS finger that won't straighten - I can't quite figure how it would straighten a finger at all looking at it in the photo so my curiosity is quite piqued!
 
Tilly, I don't think it would work on a finger that is totally rigid but on ones like mine that can be straightened by someone else, I just can't do it. At rest my finger stay in a clawed position. Same with toes, they are pliable just won't straighten on their own
 
Kay we used splints to help stretch Chris's fingers and give them times of being straight, so they were pliable, though it took time to massage the lower arms (it's the muscles wasting in the forearms that causes the finger curling, rather than the fingers themselves) and his hands to get them comfortably straight. Just straightening them would have caused pain.

It's really important to try and keep that movement and do some straightening as they become so tense and stiff, and keeping them clean and dry is difficult too.
 
Matt's finger is just starting to curl. Curve really at this point. This would not work on a finger that is further advanced. It's something that would have to be started very early.
 
Re: For those curling toe

Tilliie makes a good point about massaging the arms to help the fingers. In the beginning I wondered why the woman who comes to do ROM spent so much time massaging The arms, and I wanted to say it's my fingers, but she knows. Rom is so so important to us
 
Same then goes for the toes - stretching and massage of the calves will help relax the toes. :)
 
Thank you SO much for the toe info. Bought these for mom and she tried them yesterday. She is thrilled. Says her toes are usually very sore by the end of the day but last night they weren't. For the fingers, we roll up a hand towel and place it in her hand. She has full hand splints too, but they are too uncomfortable to wear for very long.
 
What about a pool noodle cut to the hand size? The pals could lay their hands on them and it would stretch for them.
 
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