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Bimanual Synkinesis/mirror hand movements
My 17 month old has mirror hand movements. If he is scratching his ear with his left hand the right hand is scratching in the air. I have been unable to find much information about this condition on the internet. My doctor has told me this is normal in children, but he hasn't watched Kaden long enough to really see how bad it is. Does anybody have any experience? I am in the process of trying to get him genetics tested, but it is a six month wait for an appointment at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
Mention the term bimanual synkinesia to the doctors. Does he have any other symptoms that seem unrelated to this? Also have doctors check him for scoliosis and any abnormal fusions in the cervical and thoracic areas of his vertebrae.
The reason I ask is I have just been diagnosed with Klippel-Feil Syndrome and this is one of the symptoms. Not saying your son could have this syndrome, but your doctors should know what is going on with him.
The reason I ask is I have just been diagnosed with Klippel-Feil Syndrome and this is one of the symptoms. Not saying your son could have this syndrome, but your doctors should know what is going on with him.
My son is 5 and has mirror movements of the hands. I'm glad to know there are more like him out there. Everyone I talk to, doctors, specialist at this school, look at me like I'm speaking a different language when I discuss his condition. He is a very smart kid and is going to be tested for GT soon. His have gotten a little better. We also try to teach him tricks like laying his hand down flat and slightly pushing on the paper to hold it down while he writes, or to put the other hand in his lap out of sight. I just pray he doesn't get made fun of. Children can be so cruel to one another. I heard some people mention behavioral problems. He is a very well mannered kid until something doesn't go his way. He gets very emotional, whiney and cries. I don't know if it's connected to his hands or if it's just normal 5 year old behavior.
my grandson has mirror movements. there have been some behavioral issues as well. The principle has recommended psychiatric treatment. Has any one found behavioral issues attached to this mirror image issue
My daughter is 26 and has had the Mirror condition all her life, some things she has trouble with, holding a bowl with one hand and stirring with the other. Also was going to college to be a nurse and had trouble with the blood pressure so she decided to change careers and became a mom. At least one of her kids have the condition, he is three and is confused on what hand to write with, cut etc. So it is hereditary.
I SHOULD HAVE STARTED MY POST REPLY WITH WOW! THAT'S FANTASTIC! No way can I play the piano. Thought process is slow for majority of us. I have had this for 54 years and as you get older it has complications much worse and affects your quality of life. Keep track of all your dr. records ( in LEGAL form ) for back pain treatments, ADD, motion sickness, neck/back xrays, and teacher comments on report cards. Tutoring records and speach appts.etc. There is the absence of a critical protein in the spine that causes mirror movement. I have been doing research for years and just resently have they discovered breakthroughs on what this is all about....long way to go though.
I have had this condition all of my life, and when i was younger the doctors said that it should eventually go away as i got older. I am 25 years old now and it still hasn't went away. I'd like to know more information on it, like if it is something to worry about that could cause other disorders or if all i have to worry about is my hands and arms mimicking each other for the rest of my life.
Hey, I’m 25 and also have mirror hand movements. When I was very young I underwent a series of imaging scans (i.e. MRI) and the doctors found a bundle of nerves on my spinal cord which were confusing the messages sent by my brain, causing those messages to be sent to both hands, rather than just one. Similar to bakageta, the impulse to use both hands extends up my arms but the farther from my finger tips the motion is (i.e. closer to the shoulder) the weaker it is. So tapping my index finger on my left hand makes it almost impossible to stop my index finger on my right hand from tapping. However, I can easily stop my left elbow from bending when my right one does unless I am lifting a heavy weight with my left arm (i.e. doing weightlifting). As a result, I do all my weightlifting exercises with both arms at the same time.
I received occupational therapy when I was in the 1st through 4th grades and it was dramatically and amazingly helpful for me. The therapist discovered I also had difficulty with sensory integration between hands. I believe this is common but not as noticeable for people with mirror movements. By this I mean, it is very obvious when one person’s hands are moving at the same time. It is not so obvious if that person cannot tell which of their fingers are being touched unless they are looking at their hands. For those of you with children with mirror movements, you may want to try an experiment with them. Cover their eyes and then touch their fingers and ask them which of their fingers are being touched. They may be surprisingly unable to tell you. Also, similar to a lot of people posting above, I had a great deal of difficulty with upper body weakness, reading, and writing. These things might be related as this combination is common in the posts above but I have no idea. It was discovered that I had an inner ear imbalance. When this was “fixed” by dyslexic-like problems with reading and writing improved as well as my balance. I am currently working on my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology so I can assure you those problems can be overcome. Exercise has improved by upper body weakness.
There is definitely hope. I have learned to play the piano and the guitar. I drive just fine. I can type 80 wpm. I have never once had anyone ask me about mirror movements or notice that my hands seem to be copying each other in the last 10 years. None of my current friends have any idea I have this problem. It takes some small compensations (i.e. I always put my right hand in my pocket when my left hand reaches in to grab something so my right hand doesn’t look crazy). If occupational therapy doesn’t seem to be helping, getting a new OT might be better than giving up. Mine was great.
Hope this helps!
I received occupational therapy when I was in the 1st through 4th grades and it was dramatically and amazingly helpful for me. The therapist discovered I also had difficulty with sensory integration between hands. I believe this is common but not as noticeable for people with mirror movements. By this I mean, it is very obvious when one person’s hands are moving at the same time. It is not so obvious if that person cannot tell which of their fingers are being touched unless they are looking at their hands. For those of you with children with mirror movements, you may want to try an experiment with them. Cover their eyes and then touch their fingers and ask them which of their fingers are being touched. They may be surprisingly unable to tell you. Also, similar to a lot of people posting above, I had a great deal of difficulty with upper body weakness, reading, and writing. These things might be related as this combination is common in the posts above but I have no idea. It was discovered that I had an inner ear imbalance. When this was “fixed” by dyslexic-like problems with reading and writing improved as well as my balance. I am currently working on my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology so I can assure you those problems can be overcome. Exercise has improved by upper body weakness.
There is definitely hope. I have learned to play the piano and the guitar. I drive just fine. I can type 80 wpm. I have never once had anyone ask me about mirror movements or notice that my hands seem to be copying each other in the last 10 years. None of my current friends have any idea I have this problem. It takes some small compensations (i.e. I always put my right hand in my pocket when my left hand reaches in to grab something so my right hand doesn’t look crazy). If occupational therapy doesn’t seem to be helping, getting a new OT might be better than giving up. Mine was great.
Hope this helps!
I'm 30, and have had this condition my entire life. I went through a couple of years of physical therapy when I was 5-6, and that helped me significantly. Originally, my hands were perfect mirrors of each other, which made most things rather difficult. Now, as long as I'm concentrating, I can limit the offhand to small movements most of the time, though things like scratching my head I can't do anything to stop the offhand. It also extends up my arms a bit, for example when carrying something heavy in my right hand (like a gallon of milk), my left elbow stays bent. I can somewhat force it straight, but it's extremely uncomfortable.
For the most part though, I'd say I manage fairly well, and for anyone who's worried their child isn't going to be able to do something, hopefully I can help relieve that worry. I can type ~75 wpm (though I have to lift my hands a fair bit away from the keyboard in order to avoid accidentally hitting keys), I play guitar reasonably well (though can't manage finger picking), and aside from occasionally spilling a drink while trying to turn a doorknob, I'd say I get by just fine.
To whomever asked about driving, I have no issues there, I learned to drive in a manual transmission and have never had my condition cause me problems in ~15 years of driving.
For the most part though, I'd say I manage fairly well, and for anyone who's worried their child isn't going to be able to do something, hopefully I can help relieve that worry. I can type ~75 wpm (though I have to lift my hands a fair bit away from the keyboard in order to avoid accidentally hitting keys), I play guitar reasonably well (though can't manage finger picking), and aside from occasionally spilling a drink while trying to turn a doorknob, I'd say I get by just fine.
To whomever asked about driving, I have no issues there, I learned to drive in a manual transmission and have never had my condition cause me problems in ~15 years of driving.
Can bimanual synkinesis affect reading? I am a teacher and have a student in my class that is affected by this condition. «i have noticed he does not like reading, looking at books and has difficulty reading. Anyone experienced a similar situation? I would like to help my student.He is 7 years old.
Hi I am 24 years old and have had mirroring of the hands since I was born. I play most sports but must say my catching skills are not so great at times. When I was younger I had many tests and they found that I had 1 fibre in the brain trying to work both hands whereas most people have 2 1 to work each side. There is an operation available but with most things there are risks involved. I have found ways to help me I have what I call a button hook to help me do my buttons up if you speak to an occupational therapist they may be able to provide you one. Hope all works out.
I'm a 50 year old male and I've had Hereditary Bimanual Synkenesis all my life. I just recently was able to finally put a name to it. My father had it and my son was born with it. I have always had some level of difficulty performing certain tasks with my hands but I've learned to deal with them in my own way. People have always noticed this and I'm often asked "What are you doing with your other hand?" My girlfriend complains that when a I'm holding her hand and do something with the other, I unintentionally squeeze her hand really hard! (Sorry honey!) Thanks to the doctor who answered all my questions about it and finally put a name behind it. As for the loss of the sense to smell, its true. I've noticed my sniffer only works part time.
I have never heard anything about fatty lumps relative to this condition. My daughter is 7 now, and we first noticed it when she was about 1. She received occupational therapy for years, but honestly the only thing that has made a difference is her own motivation to figure out ways to do anything she really wants to do. We have talked with her about it over the years so that she would understand why certain things were challenging for her, and so that she can think about ways to overcome it. But treatment from a professional never really seemed to make a difference.
Hello
We have discovered my 3 year old nephew has Bimanual Synkinesis. He went with his mum to see a specialist today and they have told her that he will need to have an MRI scan as a lot of people with this condition have fatty lumps in the brain. I wondered if anyone on here has had any experience with this or has heard something similar. I have told her not to worry but she can't help but assume the worst. He seems a happy healthy child in all other aspects.
I would be grateful to hear from you, affirmative or not.
Thank you
We have discovered my 3 year old nephew has Bimanual Synkinesis. He went with his mum to see a specialist today and they have told her that he will need to have an MRI scan as a lot of people with this condition have fatty lumps in the brain. I wondered if anyone on here has had any experience with this or has heard something similar. I have told her not to worry but she can't help but assume the worst. He seems a happy healthy child in all other aspects.
I would be grateful to hear from you, affirmative or not.
Thank you
Wow Ive been looking to find out why both my hand move at the same time I had no idea, n like one of u said I thought it was just one of those things. Mine must not be as bad as some thank god. My research found that most times the condition fades by the teens mine didn't n now Im 31 it seems to be increasing apparently its like the nerves are exposed like bare wires n the messages from the brain get past to both hands instead of the one ur trying to control. I used to sit on the hand i wasn't using like when I was writing. I got frustrated when i was younger especially in sport when I was getting in trouble for not climbing the rope or going on the monkey bars. I'm glad I'm not alone
My daughter, at almost 6, is still unclear about which hand she prefers for eating and for writing. She tends to switch back and forth for both. She has always seemed to prefer writing with her left hand, but when she does, she tends to start on the right side of the page and make all her letters backwards. If she is prompted to switch the pen to her right hand, she automatically starts on the left side of the page and make her letters the right way. Has anyone else seen this?
About handedness...and which side is dominant: Check which ear they hold the phone to, which eye they would look through a tube with, which foot do they kick with, which hand do they throw with, which hand do they hold utensils, which hand writes their name better, and which hand cuts with scissors best. The brain likes to develop a dominant side, though the information is somewhat conflicting as to how this affects overall function. To be truly competent in a unilateral skill, one should develop dominance though for that skill....so whether one writes with the left and throws a ball with the right, they should know which hand does that activity better and focus on using that side as dominant for that activity.
About handedness...and which side is dominant: Check which ear they hold the phone to, which eye they would look through a tube with, which foot do they kick with, which hand do they throw with, which hand do they hold utensils, which hand writes their name better, and which hand cuts with scissors best. The brain likes to develop a dominant side, though the information is somewhat conflicting as to how this affects overall function. To be truly competent in a unilateral skill, one should develop dominance though for that skill....so whether one writes with the left and throws a ball with the right, they should know which hand does that activity better and focus on using that side as dominant for that activity.
About handedness...and which side is dominant: Check which ear they hold the phone to, which eye they would look through a tube with, which foot do they kick with, which hand do they throw with, which hand do they hold utensils, which hand writes their name better, and which hand cuts with scissors best. The brain likes to develop a dominant side, though the information is somewhat conflicting as to how this affects overall function. To be truly competent in a unilateral skill, one should develop dominance though for that skill....so whether one writes with the left and throws a ball with the right, they should know which hand does that activity better and focus on using that side as dominant for that activity.
My daughter is 3yrs old, as an infant she always kept her arms folded out with her hands curled in. She also has a speech delay. Her doctor suspected mild Ceribial Palsey, so we had an MRI and saw a Pediatric Neurologist. He stated the Mayan, fat, around her brain is blocking some of the motor skills; and that it should resolve over time. He stated that by the age of ten most children are completely clear of this problem. Well, sounds good and reasonable, but if it is so rare to last beyond early childhood, explain how my father, one cousin and two other people over forty years of age still face this odd delima every day? So our resolution is to keep working with her and teaching her how to accomplish every day tasks.
My daughter (almost 6 years old) does not have any other neurological issues, just the mirror hand movements.
Has anyone noted any other neurologic issues (motor tics, gait incoordination, vocalizations)?
Good morning, my name is James, I am 43 and I have been dealing with this all my life. In my case it is hereditary (my father's side) and like others on here I have learned to deal with it in my own way. I have developed carpal tunnels due to some work I performed for 10 years straight and I require surgery. I am not looking forward to this because I am a righty and the surgery will affect that hand. If anyone out there needs more info or has questions feel free to ask. Have a nice day :)
Finally! Now I finally have an official name for what we call the "hand thing"! I have been dating my fiance for almost 4 years and I'm fascinated by his mirror hand movements. My fiance, his father, and one of his 3 brothers also have bimanual synkinesis. I could defintely see how parents would worry about their children with mirror movements, but like the rest of the older contributors to this thread, my fiance and his family have found ways to do just about everything in their own way. My fiance found playing the guitar too difficult with his hand movements, but thats really about it.
I do notice that he drops things out of his hands more easily while trying to do another task..ex: drops a cup out of his hand while digging in his pocket with the other. No biggie! I also notice that he ties his shoes uniquely. He does a "double loop"(kind of trapping his thumb and index finger with the lace loops) and then does the "pull". I have no clue if that is unique due to compensating for the hand movements or just another method, but it may be useful! He also types super fast with the "pecking" method as he is also in the computer field.
Thanks!
I do notice that he drops things out of his hands more easily while trying to do another task..ex: drops a cup out of his hand while digging in his pocket with the other. No biggie! I also notice that he ties his shoes uniquely. He does a "double loop"(kind of trapping his thumb and index finger with the lace loops) and then does the "pull". I have no clue if that is unique due to compensating for the hand movements or just another method, but it may be useful! He also types super fast with the "pecking" method as he is also in the computer field.
Thanks!
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