STEPtember

If you haven’t heard already, STEPtember is a pledge to take 10,000 steps a day for the whole of September. While we should all aim for 10,000 steps a day anyway, the reality of modern-day Aussie lifestyles means many of us often don’t reach it.

10,000 steps a day is ideal for maintaining (or reaching) a healthy bodyweight, glucose tolerance and blood pressure. Overall physical and mental wellbeing also significantly improve with increased exercise and frequent activity.

But why STEPtember?

STEPtember was coined by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA) a few years ago, in a bid to raise money for children and teenagers with cerebral palsy. The money raised will help out by providing wheelchairs, youth services, research, toys and other learning tools.

It’s a great cause and a win-win. We Aussies get healthy, and we raise money for those in need in the meantime. To help you understand exactly why STEPtember exists, we are going to spend September focussing on cerebral palsy.

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a congenital disorder that appears in the early years of life. It affects the area of the brain that powers our motor skills, including our ability to balance, stand and control our movements.

A baby born with cerebral palsy will usually begin to display signs at around age 2. We will dive deeper into those signs in a couple of weeks, but the main symptoms are developmental delays, poor motor skills and speech impediments.

The severity of symptoms experienced in people with cerebral palsy is hugely varied. Some may need a wheelchair while others may just have a slight limp. It is usually categorised according to severity: mild, moderate or severe, but there are multiple classifications.

Cerebral Palsy is named so because it affects the cerebrum. Cerebral (relating to the cerebrum) Palsy (disordered movement or paralysis).

Types of cerebral palsy

Mild cerebral palsy affects the brain least. It causes delays and difficulties, but sufferers can walk without assistance and will mostly be able to live the same life they would without their diagnosis.

Moderate cerebral palsy has more of an impact on the person’s life. People with a moderate case will need braces to walk independently and therapy and technological assistance to live the life they would without the diagnosis.

Severe cerebral palsy has a lasting impact on the life of the diagnosed person. They will need a wheelchair and will struggle to complete daily tasks unassisted.

Other classifications include the number of limbs affected, spastic or non-spastic and the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), which is essentially a more detailed severity rating.

Cerebral Palsy is categorised according to severity.

How common is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is incredibly common. The CPA note that it is one of the most common physical disabilities in childhood, with 34,000 Australians and 17million people worldwide living with the condition.

1 in 700 Australian babies have cerebral palsy, which the CPA estimate at 1 born every 20 hours. The silver lining of a congenital deformity being common is that there is a lot of research on the topic, but the search for a cure is ongoing.

While there is no cure, most people diagnosed with cerebral palsy go on to live long and fulfilling lives. With treatments such as physiotherapy available, many children and adults even live very active lifestyles.

34,000 Aussies are living with cerebral palsy. 1 in 700 babies here are born with it and 7,000,000 people worldwide have it.

STEP for cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a common neurological condition, and its effects range from life-changing to extremely mild. Many children diagnosed with cerebral palsy grow to lead happy, whole and successful lives with or without assistance.

In the coming weeks, we will focus on the various assistance available to those that need it, as well as the signs, symptoms, causes and risk factors. This September, pledge 10,000 steps a day with us to raise money to improve the lives of those affected by cerebral palsy.

Felicity Thompson

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