Cerebral Palsy Symptoms and Treatment*
What are the symptoms of cerebral palsy?
Cerebral palsy is characterized by an inability to fully control motor function, particularly muscle control and coordination. Depending on which areas of the brain have been damaged, one or more of the following may occur: muscle tightness or spasticity; involuntary movement; disturbance in gait or mobility, difficulty in swallowing and problems with speech. In addition, the following may occur: abnormal sensation and perception; impairment of sight, hearing or speech; seizures; and/or mental retardation. Other problems that may arise are difficulties in feeding, bladder and bowel control, problems with breathing because of postural difficulties, skin disorders because of pressure sores, and learning disabilities.
Are there different types of cerebral palsy?
Yes. Spastic diplegia, the disorder first described by Dr. Little in the 1860s, is only one of several disorders called cerebral palsy. Today doctors classify cerebral palsy into three principal categories—spastic, athetoid, and ataxic,—according to the type of movement disturbance. A fourth category can be a mixture of these types for any individual.
What are the early signs?
Early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before 18 months of age, and parents are often the first to suspect that their infant is not developing motor skills normally. Infants with cerebral palsy are frequently slow to reach developmental milestones, such as learning to roll over, sit, crawl, smile, or walk. This is sometimes called developmental delay.
Some affected children have abnormal muscle tone. Decreased muscle tone is called hypotonia; the baby may seem flaccid and relaxed, even floppy. Increased muscle tone is called hypertonia, and the baby may seem stiff or rigid. In some cases, the baby has an early period of hypotonia that progresses to hypertonia after the first 2 to 3 months of life. Affected children may also have unusual posture or favor one side of their body.
Parents who are concerned about their baby's development for any reason should contact their physician, who can help distinguish normal variation in development from a developmental disorder.
*(the above information was excerpted from United Cerebral Palsy website, www.ucp.org)
What are the treatment options for cerebral palsy?
Pediatric Physical Therapy is often prescribed for children who have Cerebral Palsy and other gross motor disorders including Spina Bifida, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Down Syndrome. The “Intensive Physical Therapy” model, which was originally inspired by Eastern European methods pioneered in the 1970’s, has been emerging in North America as an effective way to develop new and lasting functional skills in children with gross motor disorders. Euro-Peds® out of Doctors’ Hospital of Michigan in Pontiac, Michigan, was the first hospital to introduce Intensive Pediatric Physical Therapy to the U.S. in 1999. As of 2010, the clinic has treated over 900 children from virtually every U.S. state, Canada, and as far away as Portugal and Jamaica. As a fully-accredited hospital-based program, Euro-Peds® accepts many insurances, and is associated with The North Oakland Foundation, a 501C3 non-profit that provides financial assistance to the families of children who require therapy at Euro-Peds.
For information or an online application to the Euro-Peds therapy program, go to www.europeds.org or call 1-248-857-6776 for a mailed application.
