Physical Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that appears in early childhood. It is a result of damage caused to the brain that impairs muscle coordination and body movement. Though not progressive, the damage can't be reversed. Although congenital in most cases, it is not detected until a child is a few months or a year old. Early symptoms of cerebral palsy surface before a child turns three. However, it can be caused after birth as a result of head injury due to accidents or brain infections, like bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis.

Treatment for Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy can't be completely cured. However, there are a number of treatments that can help a child overcome the disabilities associated with this disorder. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy often prove useful for children suffering from cerebral palsy. Certain drugs can also be prescribed to control seizures, muscle spasms and relieve pain. Sometimes, surgery is used to remove physical abnormalities or relax tight muscles.

Treating Cerebral Palsy with Physical Therapy

Cerebral palsy seriously impairs a child's ability to move around. The freedom and fun that every child is entitled to can be restored with the help of physical therapy. A physical therapist is a professional who is trained to improve muscle coordination and movement, through exercise and other devices. A physical therapist goes through the medical history of patients, and then designs a treatment schedule depending upon the requirements. The therapy involves stretching, strengthening and repositioning of the muscles. This neurological disorder causes the muscles to become tight. Hence stretching them daily to increase flexibility, is an important component of treatment through physical therapy. Muscles are stretched by moving the limbs in such a way that it causes a slow a steady pull on the muscles. A physical therapist helps his patients to carry out exercises that would strengthen specific muscles for better support and movement. Positioning is done to reduce unwanted tone and to attain long stretches. For this purpose, a number of devices like braces, knee mobilizers, pillows, casts or splints may be used.

In his treatment a physical therapist may use the 'bobath' technique and 'patterning'. Sometimes due to cerebral palsy a child tends to retain some of the primitive reflexes. Using the bobath technique, a physical therapist relieves the primitive reflexes by repeated positioning of the limb in opposing movement. For example, if the limb of a child remains normally flexed, a physical therapist using this technique would extend it repeatedly. Through 'patterning' a physical therapist encourages a child to attain movements that develop along the normal path of motor development. For example, a child would first be taught to crawl and stand and then walk. Although certain therapists have reservations regarding 'patterning' due to lack of documented evidence of its value, nonetheless, it has proved to bear results.

Role of the Family

Although physical therapy sessions are mostly done at hospitals, or at the clinic of the physical therapist, the role of parents and family is also important. It is often seen that the patients respond better to the treatment in comfortable surroundings of their home. Most of the physical therapy activities are simple. Parents can easily learn them and help their children with these exercises at home. Also, presence of parents provide a positive reinforcement to the child, that helps him respond better to physical therapy treatments. In fact physical therapy often includes interactive play. Playing with family members and with other children of the same age is encouraged.

The module of physical therapy for cerebral palsy changes over time, as a child may not retain the same disabilities, he did during infancy. The treatment program needs to be adapted continuously according to the needs of the child.

Restricted physical movement can often dent a child's confidence. During his struggle to overcome locomotive barriers, a child lays his deepest insecurities and frustrations bare in front of his physical therapist. Hence, a physical therapist needs to be more than a trained professional, who can help a child overcome his physical disabilities. He has to act like a patient guide and friend who would encourage the child every time he fails to stand up on his feet.