Occasionally, children experience joint tightness which limits their ability to flex or extend as far as they should. This might be because one of the muscles connected to it is too short or tight. Serial casting is a technique that may be used to treat this tightness to gradually increase the range of motion for that joint.

Serial casting involves a series of casting the joint where it stretches the muscle a little bit at a time. How long the process takes will depend on how much the muscle needs to expand. The average time for serial casting is around 4 to 6 weeks. If a child requires serial casting due to a neurological condition, they may need more than one round of serial casting.

Serial casting may help children affected by:

• Cerebral palsy
• Club Foot
• Toe Walking
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Spina bifida
• Metatarsus adductus (foot turning inward)
• Some spinal cord injuries
• Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury

What are the benefits of serial casting?

• It is not as invasive as surgery
• Conservative
• Painless
• Preserves the muscle’s ability to produce power
• Does not limit activity level.

At Chatterbox Pediatric Therapy, we have physical therapists that are trained in this method of treatment. Contact us today for more information on our therapy offerings.