Can’t Straighten the Elbow? Elbow Extension Exercise 👦🏻💪🏽 | Hemiplegia Pediatric PT #3

👋🏽 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. I’m excited for you to continue this series with someone truly one of a kind—this is Devan (Dev in this video). 👦🏻 His Momma Sue describes his mood as “sweet and sour.” I find him delightful, surprising, and challenging—all rolled into one. Hopefully, in these videos, you’ll get to see his sweet side. Devan is diagnosed with right hemiplegia from a perinatal left MCA stroke, along with a seizure disorder, aggressive behavior, muscle weakness, chronic insomnia disorder, ADHD, blindness in his right eye, developmental delay, mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, autism, duplication of chromosome 16, hypertropia, poor impulse control, and anxiety. He receives private physical and occupational therapy, along with speech therapy and vision services through school, and vocational rehabilitation. He lives with his Momma Sue and Pop and attends virtual school due to behavioral limitations. Working with Devan has sharpened my skills and brought me a great deal of joy. I hope he will do the same for you. 🪑 What You’ll See in This Video In this session, Dev sits between me 👩🏼 and his Pop 👴🏻 and practices elbow flexion and extension using his right arm in a gravity-eliminated position. You’ll see: • Support at the shoulder to reduce the effect of gravity • Assistance and blocking at the elbow to guide movement • Increased difficulty as he approaches end-range elbow extension • Use of a foam block to encourage grasp and engagement • A clear target—ear for flexion and Pop’s hand for extension • Negotiation, humor, and shared control during the task 😄 💡 Why This Helps Children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy often find elbow flexion easier, while elbow extension—especially near end range—is much more difficult. This activity: • Reduces gravity to allow more successful movement • Targets active elbow extension in a controlled way • Builds strength where movement is weakest (end range) • Encourages coordination between grasp and arm movement • Supports more functional reaching patterns 🛠️ Practical Tips • Position the arm at shoulder height to reduce gravity • Provide support proximally (shoulder) and guide at the elbow • Use a lightweight object to maintain interest and grip • Give a clear, meaningful target for both directions • Expect to assist more as the arm straightens • Allow personality and motivation to be part of the session 👦🏻✨ 🧩 Watch the entire playlist for Devan here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjOIKzrx2Rj-qEsmTTeFtR-v ⚠️ Safety Note These videos are for educational purposes and are not a replacement for in-person physical therapy. Every child is unique. Please do not try these techniques if your child’s health or motor skills differ significantly from Devan’s. (I cannot provide treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated.) 📧 Contact [amysturkey@gmail.com](mailto:amysturkey@gmail.com) 🌐 Website [www.pediatricPTexercises.com](http://www.pediatricPTexercises.com) 🪶 Accessibility Closed captions have been reviewed and corrected. To turn on captions: Click CC To change languages: ⚙️ Settings → Subtitles/CC → Choose language or Auto-translate If captions block important details, they can be toggled off in the video player. 📚 Books by Amy Sturkey (Amazon) “P is for Poop and Pee Accidents” – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 “A is for Anxiety” – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V “A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR “C is for Cerebral Palsy” – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP “D is for Down Syndrome” – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 “A is for Autism” – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB 🧠 Professional PT Books Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips – https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees – https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD