19/06/2025
Isis Holt, Jodi Elkington-Jones, Katrina Webb, James Turner…... what do these Australians have in common?
They are all extraordinary athletes, representing Australia in their respective sports AND they all have Cerebral Palsy.
What is Cerebral Palsy (CP)?
CP is an umbrella term for movement disorders occurring in people who have had a brain injury before or shortly after birth. Because the injury happens so early in a person’s life, it affects how they develop.
This can affect:
- Muscle tone
- Posture
- Coordination
- Balance
Other symptoms can include issues with hearing, seeing and speech.
Depending on when and where the injury happens in the brain, CP presentation varies greatly; some people are wheelchair-bound, others can walk/run/jump/skip, etc.
Wherever an individual is on this spectrum, Physiotherapy can help.
We can help with:
- Strengthening 💪🏽
- Gait retraining 🚶♂️➡️
- Balance ⚖️
- Coordination 💃
- Finding assistive technology 🧑🦼
- Increasing community/recreational participation ⚽️
While there is no “cure”, we can help individuals with CP improve their function, optimise their quality of life and reach their full potential, just like these extraordinary Australians.
