On Sunday 25 February 2001 12:56 am, joanne wrote:
> I know that no one can give me a correct answer but this discussion really
> has me thinking and wondering.  I'm coming at this situation as a mommy of
> an almost 6 year old boy who has spastic quad CP. Alex has a manual WC that
> he does Ok in. He's not thrilled just going straight form point A to B but
> enjoys cutting close turns and speeding down ramps ( is there a smiley icon
> I can place here of a mommy quickly turning gray???). He has been using a
> new walker that gives him lots of support on walking, although  walking is
> still labor intensive. It's usually kept at the school and when it is here
> at home it can only go short distances because of our house lay out.
> Thursday Alex had an appointment with his PMR doc and we took the walker
> with us as the PMR doc had never seen this new walker ( Rifton Pacer) My
> gosh golly, did that little one go!!!! The joyful look on his face was
> heart-lifting to say the least. Even with the joy and all the supports the
> walking, again was intensive with effort. Now I'm mindful from the
> responses of the adults ( no that's not the right descriptive word, lets
> see ..older? no?? Ok  how about people who've grown taller,like Bobby,
> ISM,Ken,Magenta) that all that forced being "normal" walking has resulted
> in such stress on the joints,  spine etc as they've grown "taller" Do I
> discourage/limit the walking in order for him to have a healthier adult
> life. Maybe all this new equipment is made to reduce the stress that caused
> all the  muscle /spinal stress in the past. Just what is a good medium for
> a young child?
> Joanne

This is a dilemma. I look at a cross section of my middle age friends, some
are in better physical shape than others. True, the ones who have "stressed"
their bodies most, with sport injuries, skiing/climbing accidents, are now
paying for their activity with a higher incidence of skeletal/joint problems.
However, very few of them, say they would take it all back and not do the
things which led to their pain.

CP IS a physical disability, when we shake our heads in spasm, it is putting
more strain on our necks than someone who hasn't that spasm. (In my twenties
I had a neck like a bull, and that extra musculature was probably a defence
of the joint). It was only when the muscles gradually withered (along with
other muscles!!) as I took on a more sedentary existence that joint problems
manifested  themselves.

I think its a mistake to plan a life defensively, but equally important is to
"listen" to what our bodies are telling us.

Cheers

Deri