Botox & Children Suffering With Cerebral Palsy

Abnormally tight muscles prove to be a common symptom of cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that hinders body movement and muscle coordination. Cerebral palsy can be caused by fetal damage, birth complications or severe injuries suffered during the first few years of life. The spastic muscles caused by CP can make everyday life difficult. Several cerebral palsy treatments exist to reduce these difficulties. Sometimes different treatment options can be combined into one cerebral palsy treatment plan. Botox therapy is one of these treatment options.

Botox Therapy

• Botox therapy is often associated with cosmetic medicine, but botox therapy also benefits individuals with CP. Botox comes from botulinum toxin type A, a bacteria that causes food poisoning. Botox works by blocking transmission between the nervous system and muscles, causing the muscles to relax. Botox therapy can be helpful for individuals whose tight muscles causes functioning problems, pain or deformities such as awkward gait or hip displacement.

Procedure

• Doctors administer botox therapy through injections. The injections can be made to several small and large muscles. Areas on the upper body for which botox can be helpful include shoulders, elbows and wrists, while areas on the lower body that can benefit from botox therapy include hips, knees and ankles. Doctors may give patients a numbing agent before the injections to help reduce pain at the injection sites. According to Cerebral Palsy Source, the effects of botox injections usually last about four months. Once the injections wear off, a new set of injections may be needed.

Benefits

• Botox therapy can help improve a child's self-confidence by allowing him to be more independent. The relaxed muscle created by botox therapy can make care-giving tasks, such as dressing and feeding, easier to do. Additionally, the relaxed muscles can reduce pain caused by spastic muscles and also improve balance. For physical therapists who work with children, botox injections give the therapist an increased range of motion to work with.

Warning

• Too much botox can be lethal. Botox injections come in 50-unit and 100-unit vials. At no time should the child be injected with more than 400 units of botox, according to the Institute of Child Development. The Institute of Child Development also indicates single muscles shouldn't be injected with more than 50 units each. The next series of injections shouldn't be administered until three months have passed.

Considerations

• According to Cerebral Palsy Source, botox therapy is most effective in children 6 years or younger. At this age the child's body is still developing, allowing the botox injections to have a more permanent effect on the body. For instance, receiving botox injections in the hips can help prevent hip displacement. Physical therapy can help children obtain the maximum benefit of botox therapy through intense stretching.