CEREBRAL
PALSY TREATMENT
While
Cerebral Palsy is not curable, there are
many other ways of managing a life with
Cerebral Palsy. Different cerebral palsy
treatments can be effective means of maximizing
an afflicted child's potential.
There are many different types of therapy
that can be used to as Cerebral Palsy treatments.
Different therapies are constantly being
utilized and experimented with. A few that
are being used include physical therapy,
occupational therapy, speech therapy, and
music therapy.
Physical therapy
helps to achieve physical independence and
mobility. Different exercises, correcting
positioning, and usingalternate forms of
movement, like walkers, braces, or wheelchairs,
is inclusive of this form of therapy. The
programs work towards preventing the weakening
or deterioration of muscles that can result
from lack of use and to prevent contracture
from happening. Contracture is a muscle
condition that results in fixed rigid, abnormal
positions and is one of the most common
and serious complications with Cerebral
Palsy.
Occupational therapy is designed
to use purposeful activities to increase
independence through fine motor skills.
Equipment to help feeding processes and
bathroom visits are used to help the children
adapt. Speech therapy
is used to improve communications skills.
While some people may only need to improve
articulating their words, others may need
to develop a non-verbal communication system.
Music therapy is used to treat neurological
mental or behavioral disorders.
Orthotics, casts,
and splints may supplement therapy
programs. These different aids help to provide
stability, maintain joint  positioning,
and help to stretch the muscles. For those
who experience seizures, medication is available.
Drugs are also
used for severe spasticity, which are painful
spasms. Spasticity can be reduced by nerve
blocking injections that last a couple months.
Long term effectiveness has not yet been
shown. Medications
used most often are diazepam, a general
relaxant of the brain and body, baclofen,
blocks signal sent from the spinal cord
to contract the muscles, and datrolene,
interferes with the process of muscle contraction.
A couple types of surgery
can be performed if necessary. Surgery is
used when contractures are severe enough
to create problems in movement. The surgeons
lengthen the muscle that is too short. Lengthening
a muscle usually makes it weaker so surgery
for contractures is usually followed by
recovery months. To reduce spasticity in
the legs, surgery called selective dorsal
root rhizotomy is used. It reduces the amount
of stimulation that reaches leg muscles
by the nerves. The effectiveness of this
surgery is continually being researched.
Different devices
are being used on all different levels.
Mobility devices allow a person to be more
dependent upon them to move around. Wheelchairs,
scootors, specialty bikes and tricycles,
and walkers and crutches can be used. Symbol
boards, voice synthesizers, and head sticks
for computers are used to assist communication.
The increased capabilities of computers
have greatly improved the means of communication
among people with Cerebral Palsy.
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