Cindy,
In either case botox (injections) or hamstring lenghtening (cutting and
repairing your hamstrings those two very large muscles in the back of your
leg, surgery) would require intensive physical therapy afterwards (don't
let the doctor talk you out of it).  In hamstring surgery the muscles are
lengthened but, by lengthening them you make them weaker.  Often, this
requires the person to relearn to walk, and find new centers of stability.

Think about when you walk, most of your stability is in your pelvic region
with your large leg muscle groups quads, hamstrings providing a certain
amount along with pelvic muscles, back muscles (if you've ever hurt your
back and then tried to walk afterwards you can appreciate their input), and
abdomenal muscles.  When one set of muscles is weakened, another set
compensates.  In this Lara's case it sounds like the abdomenal obliques
perhap?

Elizabeth Thiers, OTR
email: [log in to unmask]
homepage: http://www.bv.net/~john/bethsot1.html

----------
> From: Cindy Mallory <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Quiet list
> Date: Tuesday, February 23, 1999 5:53 PM
>
> Lara,
>         Is your weakness from the surgery or due to spasity? I have a
71/2 year old
> son with CP and we are getting to a point where hamstring lengthening may
be
> an option. We haven't tried botox because that would scare him. Mentally
he is
> fine.         Cindy