About Cerebral Palsy
CP is a term used to describe a broad spectrum of motor disability which is non-progressive and caused by damage to the brain at or around birth. It is persistent but not unchanging disorder of movement and posture.
A part of brain is damaged which results in disorder of movement and posture (occurring in early year of Childs development). There are many causes of such defects. Some of them are pre-maturity, Asphyxia, trauma, severe Jaundice, Hypoglycemia, Intra-uterine virus infection, genetic causes.
CP can be
- Spastic: (most common)- affects muscular control.
- Athetoid: shows uncontrollable movements
- Ataxic: difficulty in balancing.
Problems:
Motor like deformities of joints which may convert into fixed contracture with time, muscle tightness, dystonic posture, slow writhing movements, Hypotonia, involuntary jerks, disrupted voluntary movements, disturbance of balance, in-coordination, intention tremor, delayed milestone, dysarthria , nystagmus.
Associated Problems:
Visual, Hearing, Speech, Mental Handicap, Epilepsy, Emotional problems.
Regarding Physiotherapy Treatment
Physiotherapy plays a very important part in management of Cerebral Palsy. Aim is
- To prevent and reduce deformities
- To promote their abilities and try to make them independent to some extent
- To stimulate normal pattern of movement
- To discourage position and movements behaviours that make handling difficult such as extending and thrusting backwards
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