Weak Hand? Weak Leg? Train Them Together 👨🏽‍🦱✋🏽 | Hemiplegia PT #6

👋🏽 Hi, I’m Amy Sturkey, a retired pediatric physical therapist with over 35 years of experience. One of my favorite ways to encourage use of a weaker side is to make the arm and leg work together during the same activity. In this video, Macari practices stepping out with his involved right leg while carrying stacking cups in his involved right hand. 👨🏽‍🦱🥤 Later, we increase the challenge by having him pick up the cups with his involved right hand as well. This combines balance, weight shifting, grasp, and coordination into one functional activity. 👨🏽‍🦱 Meet Macari Macari is 18 years old and has right-sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy due to schizencephaly—a rare congenital condition that causes a cleft, or slit, in the cerebral hemisphere. His involvement affects the right side of his body, and he is also legally blind in his left eye. Depending on the time of year, he receives occupational, physical, and speech therapy. His mother has worked incredibly hard to encourage use of his right arm and hand—and it shows. He is a wonderful co-instructor for demonstrating higher-level skills in individuals with hemiplegia. 🎯 What You’ll See in This Video • Holding cups with the involved right hand • Stepping out with the involved right leg • Reaching toward objects placed on the floor • Picking up cups with the stronger left hand • Progressing to picking up cups with the involved right hand • Weight shifting onto the involved side • Practicing balance while moving ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and meet Macari 👋🏽 00:39 Activity setup 00:49 Stepping out with the right leg 01:20 Why hand positioning matters 02:00 Switching to the involved right hand 02:53 Wrap-up and key takeaway 🧠 Why This Helps This activity targets: • Use of the involved right leg during stepping • Weight shifting and balance • Functional grasp with the involved hand • Reaching and object manipulation • Coordination between the arms and legs • Motor planning Many individuals with hemiplegia naturally rely more on their stronger side. Activities like this create opportunities for the involved arm and leg to work together in a functional and meaningful way. One aspect I particularly liked was how Macari maintained control of the cups with his involved right hand while moving. Many individuals with hemiplegia tend to rotate the forearm inward, which can make it difficult to keep objects upright. I was concerned he might accidentally dump the cups, but he did an excellent job controlling them throughout the activity. The activity becomes even more challenging when Macari switches to picking up the cups with his involved right hand. This requires active reaching, opening the hand, grasping, and lifting while maintaining balance on his involved leg. Combining arm and leg work on the same side creates a functional challenge that more closely resembles everyday movement. 💡 Practical Tips • Begin with lightweight objects that are easy to hold • Place items within successful reaching distance initially • Encourage stepping with the involved leg • Adjust object placement to change the balance challenge • Progress by having the involved hand complete more of the task ⚠️ 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 Macari’s. (I cannot provide treatment recommendations for a child I have not personally evaluated.) 🧩 Watch the entire playlist for Macari here:    • Pediatric Physical Therapy for Hemiplegic ...   📧 Contact [email protected] 🌐 Website 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