It’s September and that means one thing – CMT Awareness Month. During the month of September I will be using my blog to play a part in raising Awareness with an “alphabet challenge” blogging a letter / key word almost every day in the month of September. Today is the letter B = balance. I hope my month of blogging will help you to learn more about CMT – the most common but least well known hereditary nerve disorder. And I hope this will also help to raise funds for the Charcot Marie Tooth Association to support its efforts to find a treatment for CMT. You can join me in learning more about CMT by clicking onto www.cmtausa.org and of course a donation would be wonderful too!
One thing you will hear from someone with CMT is that they often find themselves on the ground. Yes, we have a predisposition to falls.
It could be that we fall due to muscle atrophy in our ankles – we lose the ability to lift our feet up when walking – leading to lots of trips and falls!
And I know for me I also have a very bad sense of balance. Apparently I am not alone – according to a recent patient survey about quality of life in people with CMT, 98.6% of all patients report having balance problems. It is nice to know I am not the only one!
A recent review of published studies found that balance based exercises are the most effective exercise intervention for people with peripheral neuropathy (of which CMT is one type of peripheral neuropathy – but this is also true for diabetics who suffer from nerve damage). I’ve always known that I benefit from balance based exercise, and although I find it incredibly challenging I do love going to yoga.
But there is another way to get balance therapy. I was out for a drink with my neurophysiotherapist at the end of July, and she mentioned to me that she had seen a presentation about a possible study looking into the affect that having a pet (in particular a dog) has on neural rehabilitation. Apparently, having a dog – and walking a dog – is great for balance rehab and training. The owner cannot rely on the animal for support when it changes course and therefore learns to rely on the small stabilising muscles in the legs for balance. It is training for the dog – and retraining for the owner’s muscles and balance!
More evidence – this time of the science theory variety – that getting our puppy Mr Felix 3Spot was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my health and well being in a long time!
Recently Felix and I have been clocking about 5 to 10 kilometres a day for the full days we spend together (mostly just Saturdays and Sundays) – that is a lot of walking and balance training. And for the weekdays I still get in short sharp walks with him. He keeps me moving – and mobile.
Here’s to balance and puppy-based rehab!
It’s CMT Awareness Month. Today’s post was brought to you by the letter “B” – balance, and also a bit of “bow wow”. You can learn more about CMT and donate to support the self for a treatment for this at present incurable progressive degenerative nerve disease at www.cmtausa.org. Thank you.