HSP in the news

There have been several HSP stories in the news recently which I thought worth sharing.

The benefits of stretching

This story was on the Australian HSP site this week: https://hspersunite.org.au/daily-duration-stretching-pays-off/

In summary, nine patients with HSP took part in a study where they were given a stretching routine to follow. The stretches were high load long duration stretches for specific muscles. Each person was reviewed and given their own routine. Stretches were undertaken six times a day for 15 minutes a time - so 90 minutes a day stretching, completed for more than one year. The muscles were selected based on how short they had become.

The outcome was assessed in terms fof range of movement for the muscle and ambulatiopn speed. 40% had higher walking speeds, half had better range of movements. two thirds were in a higher ambulation category.

This shows that regular stretches really do help HSP. The study also included patients with hemiparesis, and the abstract doesnt describe if the proportion of people with improvements was the same across both conditions.

Dancing with HSP

This website was posted on the Spatax website: https://www.clickanddance.com/videos - it gives a sequence of videos which you can follow to improve. Two sets of videos are given, one for those who can stand un-aided, and antoher set for those who need the help of a chair. Dancing is a physical activity, so good for health, and the use of different muscles can help. You may even enjoy it!

Original post: https://spatax.wordpress.com/2018/11/14/danse-to-improve-your-well-being-even-with-ataxia-or-spasticity/

Incontinence Pants

This story caught my eye on the BBC news feed. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46220556) Its not directly related to HSP, but I thought worth a mention. This company makes incontinence pants for ladies that look like pants! https://www.giggleknickers.co.uk/. Their story comes from mild incontinence following surgery, but the same factor is true of HSP, and these pants are machine washable.