Michael,
I think Kat and I have "over-use" syndrome. Sounds like she was very much
physical active until the relative recent past (right, Kat?). I really
didn't have much at all in the way of pain until I was 38. Fairly sudden
onset and pretty fast rate of deterioration.
My weight gain is still pretty much muscle mass (no, really, I'm not lyin'
to ya <g>). I don't have a "gut" yet and I really haven't seen too much
measurable atrophy--not to say it isn't there, it's just not apparent when
you look at me.
One thing that is really starting to help with range-of-motion, for me, is
passive stretching. My wife and I have made a deliberate effort to take
time every night for stretching. It's the same modality that the PTs used
when I was a kid--she just takes the affected limb and stretches the muscle
with steady, firm pressure. After 10-15 seconds you can see my arm,leg,
hand, etc. begin to relax by a few degrees. I'm starting to regain some ROM
this way, but still have a relatively high level of pain. Next step is to
start back into stretching/walking in a hot pool. Our new house is five
minutes from the Arthritis Foundation's thermal pool. All I need to do is
get a script from my MD and I'll be back at it.
Kyle
-----Original Message-----
From: Barber, Kenneth L.
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: 3/5/03 5:16 PM
Subject: Re: CP
i hope you are one of the few that don't have these problems. i think
that
lots of my pain is becouse i have the dydtonia in the neck and shoulders
and
that has really worked on my spine.
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael H Collis
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: 3/4/2003 6:49 PM
Subject: Re: CP
Kyle,
I've noticed that most of the orthopedic and joint problems come about
when the person is ambulatory C.P. and gains weight. I have used a
wheelchair for all my mobility requirements, and I have few, if any,
pains... Every now and then something will twinge, but I have none of
the issues raised by you, Kat, Ken and Bobby. I'm 48 now, but when I
was 20, I was 120, and 5'10". My inseam is still the same, but my waist
has gotten bigger... :)
Michael
-----Original Message-----
From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cleveland, Kyle E.
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 4:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: CP
Michael,
I'm 45 yrs. and 170 lbs too! I've been 170 for at least 15 years, but
when
I was 20 I was 6 feet tall and 126 pounds! I wore pants with a 28"
waist
and 36" inseam. Now it seems like the two numbers have switched. LOL.
Ideally, I think many of us would probably do better on the extremely
thin
side--as most of us were in early adulthood. As a result of the
spasticity
and scoliosis, I now have degenerative disc disease and degenerative
joint
disease. The progression of both those would most likely have been much
slower if I were not fifty pounds heavier than my college-age weight.
|