Cerebral Palsy Treatments and Therapies

The first crucial step in treating cerebral palsy, also known as CP, is early diagnosis. Symptoms of cerebral palsy can include difficulty walking, rolling over, standing or sitting, uncontrollable movement of feet, legs, arms, and hands, or overall difficulty with balance and coordination. A parent should speak to their family physician immediately if they notice any of these signs in their infants or young children. Just remember, symptoms that resemble CP can have different causes and are not necessarily an indication of something serious.

That’s why it’s important to get a proper diagnosis as soon as possible. If your child is showing symptoms of cerebral palsy, make sure you collect this essential information before your doctor appointment: symptoms that concern you, the date when you first notice the symptoms, information about your pregnancy and delivery, a list of medications, vitamins, or other supplements that you give to the child, your child’s medical history. Your doctor can recommend specialists you should visit, required tests, and when you can expect to receive the results. 

They’ll also give you details about how to monitor your child’s health and development. If tests do indicate cerebral palsy, there are many helpful treatment options. Your doctor may prescribe or recommend, depending on the type of CP and the severity of symptoms, one or more medications that can treat several symptoms of CP including seizures, increased muscle tone or muscle stiffness, and involuntary movements. Anticholinergics block the neurotransmitters, benzodiazepines treat seizures, anxiety, and insomnia, antidepressants ease symptoms of depression, anti-inflammatories reduce pain and inflammation, baclofen relaxes muscles, botox treats spasticity, anti-convulsants suppress neurons that lead to seizures.

Medication can also help treat secondary disorders caused by CP, such as acid reflux, behavioral disorders, and incontinence. In addition to medication, there are different therapy options that can help treat CP symptoms and improve brain cognition and movement.

Physical therapy helps relieve muscle stiffness and pain and improve coordination, balance, and mobility. Therapists use special equipment to help your child move more freely and live more independently. Occupational therapy helps children with CP perform their daily tasks and activities by improving cognitive ability and fine motor skills. Speech therapy can help improve language and communication skills. This helps a child become more confident while learning and socializing. It can also assist children who have difficulties in eating and swallowing.

Then there is alternative therapy, which helps children concentrate on themselves as individuals and overcome their mental and physical obstacles. It includes music therapy, acupuncture, aquatic therapy, hippotherapy, and more. In some cases, surgery can be helpful for children with severe muscle and mobility problems. It involves operating on the bones, nerves, muscles, and tendons and can improve or correct legs, feet, ankles, wrists, arms, and hip movement.

CP surgery has been known to prevent hip dislocation, reduce tremors, relieve pain, improve posture, balance, and coordination, and correct foot deformities, fixed tendons and joints, and even spinal curvature. Your doctor may suggest special assistive devices to make life easier for children who experience communication, vision, and hearing problems. This can include writing aids, eye-tracking devices, cochlear implants, and electronic communication boards.

Children with movement problems can also benefit from a variety of mobility aids customized to their individual needs that can significantly increase their independence and improve their quality of life. From walking sticks to walkers, crutches to canes, and wheelchairs to power scooters, these prescribed medications, treatments, and therapies can help you provide your child with a healthy and fulfilling life. It’s a lot of information to absorb, so if you are interested in learning more about cerebral palsy, its effects, treatments, and more, please visit BirthInjuryCenter.org.