What Causes Difficulty Walking?

Posted on Mon, 22 Sep 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 22 Sep 2014 Answered on

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : My brother had encephalitis when he was 18 months old, and he is now 36 years old He is now unable to walk, but otherwise leads a normal life. is there any cure please suggest. do you suggest any orthopedic in XXXXXXX in XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Sharma (22 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I want to know little detail about his illness

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

I read your question. I think your brother might have cerebral palsy. In this disease there is damage to brain in early childhood. These changes are usually irreversible. But before I advise you any thing I want to know little detail about your illness.
1. Is he able to bend his knee or move ankle?
2. Was he walking in the past or he never walked since illness?
3. Is he have any deformity in the leg?

Please send me answers of these questions. I will try my best to help you.

Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Sharma (1 hour later)

1. Is he able to bend his knee or move ankle?
Yes, doctor he can bend his knee and can move his ankle
2. Was he walking in the past or he never walked since illness?
Yes, before to his illness he could walk and after he never walked since his illness
3. Is he have any deformity in the leg?
His right leg looks normal but left foot bend very little
he can stand normally, when he tries to he can put pressure his right leg normally but when he tries put pressure on his left legs he fells down.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Naveen Kumar Sharma (6 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
He needs gait analysis

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I haves studied your case and I think your brother needs a detail evaluation of his muscle strength. It can be done by gait analysis lab.It will give us information about which group of muscles are affected.
According to that he will need surgery to correct affected muscles. But it is dangerous to get any surgery done with out a proper gait analysis.
After this surgery he will need a gait training program. Ideally these steps should have been taken long back when he was much younger, still you can try this.
I hope this answer will be useful for you. Let me know if there is any other followup questions.
Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju