Hi I am new to the board. I am Katy and I have CP. I am 21 and have a service dog named Spencer.

Does anyone else have really bad back spasms? Mine are usually bad when I first wake up but after I am fully awake aren't as bad but as the day goes on get REALLY bad to the point where I just lay down by 9pm breathing. Usually about 3-4 times a week I take 10mgs of valuim in addition to my 80mg of Baclofen regularly. I am not as bad as a friend of mine but sometimes I do wonder if being in a chair at times would help.
I think what helps the most is having my dog, Spencer, lay on my legs, up agains my hip/pevic bones and somehow he alines my back and hips in the right position. I don't know if that makes sensse to anyone.
Let me know if anyone has the same issues and what you tend to do about it. I use to go to DuPont Children's hospital but now as an adult I am finding it VERY hard to find proper CP care as no one seems to know what to do with an adult with cerebral pasly....it almost seems scary :confused:

Katy and Spencer

I don't have back spasms. I do have ankle, and hand spasms, though. I had surgery when I was sixteen to correct a deformity in my ankle. Have had horrible spasms ever since. I was told that it was because of my CP, and that I should seek physical therapy. You might try that. The Department of Rehabilition might have some information about some good physical therapy centers in your area. Best of luck to you and Spencer. :)

I think stretching can help a lot too. My PT had always pointed out to me that whatever other exercise I felt to "bored" to do, my stretching exercises should never be avoided. Needless to say, I've been on my "own" for years now, meaning I don't go to PT anymore I just workout by myself, I haven't streched in weeks. I walk on the treadmill like an hour a day/every other day.

I'm so sorry to hear how difficult you are heaving trying to find proper care for your CP. I think generally speaking, people in the health dept are becoming very ignorant and not many give you proper attention. It's hard to find good people, period. I, too, wish you all the best. Are you working, going to school?

I am working for a missionary orginaztion raising funds to get ready to move to El Paso, Texas where I will be an assistant to the team leader there. I am wondering what kind of health care they have down in Texas.
I am getting a quickie wheelchair with the power assist wheels. I can't wait for that to come in.
I don't mind working out if it is in a controlled envirement so I am thinking about joining Curves or something when I get to Texas....

I used to go to Curves... it's great!

I loved working out at college in the work out room there. My roommate and best friend also has CP and we'd go together. It was kind of funny because we knew all of the guys on the cross crountry team so they all would say HI and stuff. So here were these two girls with CP short and fat (she's 4'10 and I'm 5'3, 210pounds) working out with lean tall cross country dudes. It was very funny.

I have since left college and moved on so I have no where to work out. I don't want to join anywhere until I move. It would kind of be a waist of money for only 3-4 months.

Thats where the idea of Curves came from, their ads hit me as a place you don't have to me "IN shape" to join to get "in shape". LOL

Katy and Spencer (Service dog)