Symptoms Update - Dynamic Stretches Work Well

I realise May went past without a post - oops!

At the beginning of June I was following up on some of the actions from my HSP clinic appointment earlier in the year. That had recommended a programme for strength and balance. A conversation with my GP routed towards me booking my own appointment with the neurophysiotherapy team, with the appointment being very recently.

The first part of the appointment was reviewing where I got to having switched from passive stretching to dynamic stretching. The summary is clear - there has been positive progression in several areas!

• I am now able to stand on one foot, which I was not able to do before
• My walking speed has increased
• My fall risk has decreased

I note that the stretch change is broadly simultaneous with starting to use my walking poles, so there may be elements of both coming into play.

The conclusion was that I should carry on with those stretches!

Looking at the strength and balance side, the general observation is that my quads are becoming weak, and we added an additional dynamic stretch to work on the quads.

On the balance side, being able to stand on one foot is an improvement from where I was before. I also have a challenge added to the routine, where I am standing on one foot and then also getting my mind to do other things - for example moving my arms about or throwing and catching an object. This additional activity causes my brain to have to work harder, making maintaining the balance more difficult. I tried standing on one foot with my eyes closed, but that is not possible. I may well investigate if I can manage standing on one foot with my eyes closed over time.

The addition of these two stretches now pushes my daily stretch routine more firmly in the 25-30 minute zone, whereas it had been more in the 20-25 minute zone.

I am also getting appointments booked up for the other items on the list from the clinic visit. I am on the list for an occupational therapist visit at home, but as my needs are low at the moment, I am lower on the priority list, and that may well take several months to happen.