he refuses to try and walk. It still hurts.
He's a normal 4 year old. He needs to do physical therapy to help build his confidence again.
They will also notice if anything seems wrong with how it healed.
I couldn't use my knee for most of one summer in my youth. I was very hesitant to walk let alone run. It took me a long time to not favor the other leg.
Physiotherapy can really help. I would talk to his paediatrician.
Talk to the orthopedist. He knows best what's normal and what is not.
Very common. Ask your orthopedist or whomever applied the cast and treated the fracture for a brief referral to physical therapy. Therapists know how to help people adjust to having the cast off. There can be some fear, some anxiety about the injury recurring, some discomfort due to being immobile, and some stiffness, and some long-unused muscles that need some help to get back to normal.
Talk to the pediatrician for ideas. I was pretty leery of doing too much after I broke my wrist. I think that's a normal reaction. You might need to get creative.
My first thought was a swimming pool. Do you have access to an indoor pool? I have a membership at the YMCA, and they have physical therapy there. It's fabulous how much therapy can be done in the water. Not sure if that's realistic for you, but if you can use an indoor pool you can probably encourage him to move those muscles in an environment that won't be as taxing or scary.
My femur bone was surgically broken to fix a kneecap issue. I was in a full leg immobilized for 6 weeks. I was in therapy for about 8 months because my quadriceps muscles had atrophied terribly.
Did the doctor suggest PT?
What does the Dr say?
I would think he'd be a little weak and possibly scared.
It'll hurt for a while because the muscles aren't strong due to the cast and the bone is still tender. Take him to PT and have them give you things you can do at home to help.
He might be afraid of getting hurt again or doesn't know that the cast made it heal so reassure him that everything is ok and you will all work together to make sure he's back to running around in no time at all.
Thank’s for your question J..
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Talk to his doctor if he is still in pain.
My 4 year old went through the same thing last October. She was in a full leg cast for 4 weeks then in a splint for a week. I can only tell you what my daughter's orthopedist advised: start slowly and stop if there is pain. By slowly, I mean you should provide some support while he regains strength in his leg. He should walk on his own only if he's comfortable doing so.
Depending on how long it was on could be why your son is refusing to walk. Also, depending on how bad the break was, it could still be tender. If you don't have access to a pool, put him in the tub and do exercises moving his leg.
Also, talk to his doctor. What does he/she say?
You don't say how long he was in the cast, but the longer he was in it, the more normal this would be. More information would help so much.
First, he's off balance. Second, he's scared that it will happen again or that he will fall from being off balance. Third, his muscles are weak and he's uncomfortable or has pain.
Talk to the pediatrician or the orthopedist, and find out if some exercises or physical therapy would help. I'm sure there are plenty of people skilled at helping little kids find the fun again after being laid up.
