This will be a 5K run or walk around Central Michigan University’s campus that is sponsored by the Physical Therapy Student Organization (PTSO) for Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that makes it more difficult for a person to move, especially when maintaining their balance and posture. Proceeds from the event will go to the Michigan United Cerebral Palsy organization that supports people with cerebral palsy in terms of research, advocacy, and education. For more information visit MI-UCP | Disability Nonprofit | Michigan (ucpmichigan.org).

There are 4 types of CP each with a different area of the brain that is damaged including spastic, which is damage to the motor cortex, dyskinetic, which is damage to the basal ganglia, ataxic, which is damage to the cerebellum, and lastly mixed, which is a combination of two or more types. Depending on where the damage occurred, cerebral palsy can affect body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflexes, posture, and balance. Because of this, early diagnosis is important for intervention and treatment which usually occurs in children from ages 12-18 months after noticing a delay in motor-milestones such as sitting or walking. Physical therapy is often the first step in treating cerebral palsy. It can help improve motor skills and prevent movement problems from getting worse over time. Physical therapy implements therapeutic interventions including, but not limited to, strength, flexibility, balance activities, postural control, and special equipment to give children with cerebral palsy more independence and increase their functional abilities. Children with cerebral palsy tend to have additional conditions or diseases. For example, 4 out of 10 children will also have epilepsy, and 1 out of 10 children will also have autism. Although physical therapy cannot cure cerebral palsy, it can reduce the long-term impact that it has on their life.