“I like to compare having cerebral palsy with faulty wiring in a computer. You might hit Enter, but the computer thinks you’re hitting the Delete key. As you can guess, this is frustrating, but people with cerebral palsy can learn to adapt and lead normal lives.” — Jessica Grono, (who has CP) writing in Cerebral Palsy News Today
March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, and in an effort to educate and inform, we found this interesting upcoming 12-month study at the University of Georgia. It aims to measure the effects on muscle development, balance and physical activity of children with cerebral palsy by having them stand on a small vibrating platform for 10 minutes a day.
Cerebral Palsy is the most common of all childhood disabilities.
- 500,000 children under age of 18 currently have CP
- approximately three live births out of every thousand in the United States are afflicted with CP
But what is it exactly? Loss or impairment of motor function caused by brain damage that occurs while a child’s brain is still developing — and not just after birth, this can happen before birth, or even during birth.
Cerebral Palsy negatively affects body movement, reflexes, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, posture and balance. It can also impact fine motor skills, gross motor skills and oral motor functioning.
In describing the merits of the vibrating platform, UGA Athletic Association Professor of Kinesiology Christopher Modlesky reveals “We’ve done some pilot work suggesting it does have a positive effect on their muscles and bones, and as we’re conducting these studies, parents are telling us their children are falling less.”
He continued “Physical activity is very low in children with CP. If we can increase it, their future development of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and osteoporosis, may be reduced.”
To take part in the study or for more information such as required ages, please read the full article from the Athens Banner Herald. Then email the Neuromusculoskeletal Health Lab or call (706) 395-5085.
For local assistance, contact Easter Seals UCP North Carolina & Virginia by phone at 919-783-8898. The center is located at 5171 Glenwood Ave., Suite 211, Raleigh, NC 27612.
This article was written by Anthony Scialis, Content Writer for Customer Engagement Specialist. You can follow Anthony on LinkedIn, Twitter, or find him blogging about social media marketing on WordPress.