Autumn and its Affects on the Body with CP

 What do I mean?

As with every type of cerebral palsy, there's so much to think about. There are 4 main types which I have mentioned in the following posts Life with Diplegic Mixed Cerebral Palsy Common Questions for me Challenges ahead Part 1and Challenges ahead Part 2. But it doesn’t matter what you want to be able to do it can also depend on how your body reacts to stimuli such as the weather. So that means the seasons affect the body daily as well as the season as a whole.

So what?

I am picking autumn because here in the northern hemisphere have just gone through autumn and currently going through winter before the next seasonal change with spring on the way. But not here yet.

  

Ok, what happens?

Each day can be different as the weather is. But there are generalisations and these are as follow because it also depends on how you slept the night before. again this depends on where you are living. Because if you are living in say sheltered accommodation where you cant regulate the temperature of the building let alone your own room.

Warm Days:

These days are my favourite ones as I can be almost free to be and do anything that my body actually can do. And it's just not my particular type of cerebral palsy that finds these are the best but again this depends on where you are living.

Wet Days:

These are the days that are in some respects the worst as it means that we can’t necessarily go out. If it's just a little bit of rain and we as a type of person can walk a little it depends on how wet the ground is as it is uneven and slippery because of the wetness already on the ground. Yet if it has been raining and you are in a wheelchair, self-propelled or motorised you are also dependent on how good your chair is. Because you have to judge what is an urgent event or not. As this can affect the wheelchair.

Windy Days:

These days are in some respects the worse because the wind will make you feel cold. As the wind can get everywhere around you even if you have a blanket over your knees. While you are in a wheelchair. If you can walk then it makes it harder to move as the buffering can cause you to fall. So a walking aid such as a walking frame can be a double-edged sword. I say that because it depends on the type of cerebral palsy you have. As well as how severe it is. Because the frame may make it harder for you to walk but again that depends on what type of walking aid you have. A walking stick may be helpful to a certain extent too yet that may not be as stable as a walking frame. However, this also depends on how you walk gait wise.

Cold Days:

These are also the worst types of days as well as windy days because of the way that the cold affects the muscles and joints on a day to day basis and it doesn't matter what type of cp you have.