Mildura Riverfront Marathon 5km

Botox Injections - The More you Know

This week I traveled to Adelaide for my Botox treatments, they are something that helps manage muscle tightness and keeps me moving well.

My Botox is administered Professor Anupam Datta Gupta and his amazing team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Spasticity Clinic. Thanks to the care and hard work they do I am able to manage my pain and walk a little better for a while 🥰

The botox goes straight into the muscles using EMG (Electromyography). EMG is a tool that “listens” to your muscles.

Inside every muscle, tiny electrical signals fire when the muscle is active. EMG uses a small needle or surface sensor to detect these signals. When the doctor is preparing to inject Botox, EMG helps them:

• Find the exact muscle causing the problem
• Confirm the muscle is active or over‑active
• Guide the needle to the right spot inside the muscle

It’s one of those small but mighty reminders of how far medical treatment has come. Years ago, this kind of support didn’t exist, and now I get an annual anti‑spasm superpower boost.

Science = 1 | Muscle Spasms = 0.

That progress is exactly why I’m walking 5km at the Mildura Riverfront Marathon on 7 June and raising money for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, because organisations like them and the medical professionals I am lucky to have are constantly pushing boundaries, funding research, delivering support, and opening doors that simply didn’t exist not all that long ago.

Here’s how I understand that it works, remembering I am no doctor…

Botox (botulinum toxin type A) is widely used to help manage spasticity, one of the most common symptoms of cerebral palsy. Spasticity occurs when damaged areas of the brain send too many “contract” signals to the muscles, leading to tightness, stiffness, spasms, and difficulty moving.

Botox helps by essentially turning down the volume on those overactive nerve messages. With fewer “contract” signals, the injected muscles relax, spasms ease, and movement becomes more comfortable.

The effects aren’t permanent the nerves eventually regenerate. The result for a little while at least means less muscle tightness, better range of motion, improved posture and gait and a bit less pain.

So here’s to another year of science, muscle‑taming magic, and walking without accidentally flinging objects along the way. Cheers to progress and to not spilling anything as I go.

My Journey and the More You Know: Serial Casting

Serial casting is a therapeutic technique often used to support children with cerebral palsy who experience shortened muscles due to spasticity. When muscles remain contracted for long periods, they restrict a joint’s range of motion, leading to stiffness and limited mobility. Serial casting helps address this by gently guiding the muscles into a longer, more flexible position over time.

So how does it work?
A cast is applied to hold the affected joint in a fixed position, creating a small, continuous stretch on the muscle. This steady tension encourages the muscle fibers to gradually lengthen and loosen. Unlike active stretching, where you move or hold a stretch yourself, this is passive stretching, meaning the muscle is being stretched even when you are resting or not engaged in therapy.

Beyond increasing flexibility, serial casting also helps prevent spastic muscles from pulling limbs into abnormal positions. Left unaddressed, these positions can affect posture, walking patterns, and overall movement.

As the cast holds the muscle in a stretch, the tension naturally decreases as the muscle adapts. When this happens, the cast is removed and replaced with a new one that positions the muscle slightly further, allowing for gradual, safe progress over a set period of time.

It’s important to note that the benefits of serial casting aren’t permanent on their own. You could still need to use braces at night or follow-up stretches to help maintain the improved range of motion achieved through the casting process.

Cerebral palsy looks different for every individual there is no single experience, and no single treatment works for everyone. Serial casting can be incredibly helpful for some, while others may find better results with different therapies or approaches. That diversity is exactly why research and treatment options continue to evolve. The more we learn, the more personalised and effective the care becomes for every person living with CP. Anyways enjoy this photo of me wearing mine in my younger days!

I'm getting active to support people with cerebral palsy!

On Sunday 7 June, I’ll be walking 5km at the Mildura Riverfront Marathon to raise $1,000 for Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

I was born 3 months premature and diagnosed with Spastic diplegia Cerebral Palsy, and growing up meant plenty of extra challenges, therapy and long trips to specialists but also incredible support from my family and medical team who never stopped believing in me.

Today, I’m proud to live and work independently, and I don’t take a single step for granted.

I’m taking on this 5km with my friend as part of our book club (which doubles as our PT sessions!) The Social Sunday Book Club – Get Lit, Get Fit  and we’ll be wearing green to represent CP awareness.

Cerebral Palsy looks different for everyone. Every dollar raised will help fund vital research and support services so more people with cerebral palsy have the opportunity to build independence and reach their goals.

If you’re able to donate or share, thank you so much 💚

Together, we can make a difference! 💚