Treatment for Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a disorder rooted in damage to the cerebrum that results in various degrees of poor muscle tone and control. Physical, occupational and speech therapy are used to enhance individual functioning and quality of life. Additionally, medications, adaptive equipment and surgeries may be used as a treatment option depending on the severity of the cerebral palsy and each person's individual needs.

Causes

• Cerebral palsy is a life-long disorder caused by damage to the brain's cerebrum incurred before birth or during the first years of life. This damage can happen through infections both before and after birth, brain injury received during the birthing process, or a traumatic brain injury in an infant or very young child. People with cerebral palsy experience various degrees of irregular muscle tone and lack of muscular control due to the area of the brain that is damaged and may have various other physical and developmental delays associated with the disorder.

Types

• Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form of the disorder, characterized by hypertonia, or tightness in muscles. All or part of the body can be impacted by this type of cerebral palsy. In contrast to spastic cerebral palsy, the ataxic form of the disorder is characterized by hypotonia, or low muscle tone. Ataxia in people with cerebral palsy is rare, with athetoid (or dyskinetic) forms of the condition being more common. Those with athetoid cerebral palsy have a combination of hypertonia and hypotonia.

Physical Therapy

• Physical therapy is used to help people with cerebral palsy maximize their muscle strength, control and range of motion. Flexibility and balance are focused on to increase mobility, and for those who experience hypertonia, stretching is an important part of therapy. Walking aids such as braces or splints may be brought into use when deemed necessary by a physical therapist.

Occupational Therapy

• Occupational therapy is important for those with cerebral palsy in learning how to adapt their everyday environment to meet their needs. Optimal independence is the focus of occupational therapy. This means that children with cerebral palsy may be fitted with special eating utensils to enable them to feed themselves independently, or other such adaptive equipment used to enhance daily independence.

Speech Therapy

• Not all people with cerebral palsy experience issues with speech, but for those who do, speech therapy is an integral part of their treatment plan. Working on control of facial and other muscles used to construct speech is a focus of this type of therapy. When speech is severely impacted, children may also be taught sign language to help them in being understood by others.

Botox and Medication

• Medications such as muscle relaxants to help with hypertonia may be taken orally. Another more risky form of treatment for spastic muscles is to inject Botox directly into them. Botox treatments may have rare but serious side effects and should be considered carefully in young children.

Surgery

• In cases of severe cerebral palsy, surgery may be necessary to correct deformities that have occurred in the limbs and joints due contractures, which are a shortening of the muscles. These surgeries are used to improve the positioning of tendons and bones to increase the functioning of joints and limbs.