Are you noticing delayed growth symptoms in your child? Do you often see that your child cannot perform daily mundane tasks? Is there trouble with crawling, walking, or sitting? Then, you must check-in for cerebral palsy. In India, nearly 3 million children (3 out of 1000 children) are affected by this problem.
Cerebral is a part of the brain, and palsy means weakness or muscle problems. A group of neurological disorders can affect a human’s ability to move, balance, and maintain correct posture. It is one of the most common motor disability in childhood.
There are five different types of cerebral palsy in decreasing order of occurrence:
This is the most common type of cerebral palsy, with almost 80% of the cerebral palsy cases. Here, patients have increased muscle tone and stiffness along with tight muscles.
Here, a child may have damage to different parts of the brain. They might be combined symptoms of other types of cerebral palsy (two or more).
Here, the most common symptom is uncontrollable movements. Here, the child has poor muscle tone and poor coordination.
Here, babies develop floppy limbs. They have a hard time holding up their head while sitting. They put up little resistance to their parents’ moving limbs.
This is a rare form of cerebral palsy, which mainly affects fine motor skills. If a child focuses too much on fine motor skills, they may have tremors. Speech development is also pretty slow in this case.
Mostly, in the first two years of the birth, a child can be diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Children with milder symptoms can be diagnosed around 4 to 5 years of age. Note that boys are more affected by cerebral palsy than girls.
In many cases, the exact cause of cerebral palsy is unknown. By far, the following has been linked to the cause of cerebral palsy.
It is caused by damage to the brain development before birth. This is the most common form of disorder developed due to maternal infections, low birth weight, twins/multiple births, birth complications like placental issues, umbilical cord problems, chorioamnionitis (inflammation of fetal membrane), etc.
When left untreated, jaundice can lead to severe issues like kernicterus, which is a type of brain damage.
If the mother and infant have different Rh factors, it can lead to diseases that increase the list of cerebral palsy. Rho(D) immune globulin injection is given to prevent it.
Here, infants develop brain damage a month after birth. It is almost 20% of all cerebral palsy cases. Other issues that can cause cerebral palsy are low weight during birth, blood flow issues, and head injuries.
Any damage to the brain that occurs during or after birth can lead to cerebral palsy.
This might include excessive anxiety, mood swings, social withdrawal, temper tantrums, long hours crying, etc. Neurological disorders are common in children with cerebral palsy, such as emotional outbursts, depression, poor social skills & decision-making ability, and blackouts during anger.
Sadly, there is no cure for cerebral palsy. However, some treatments can improve the lives of children with cerebral palsy. Some common treatments are
These are wearable braces that can aid mobility. Some common ones are ankle foot orthoses (AFO), Supra malleolar orthosis, rigid plastic thoracolumbar sacral orthosis (TLSO), foot orthoses, etc.
These are techs that aid one with cerebral palsy. Some of them are mobility scooters, communication aids, typing aids, eye-tracking devices, speech-generating devices, hearing aids, etc.
Some medications are: flexeril, muscle relaxants, benztropine, Tegretol, Klonopin, etc.
Surgeries are meant to increase the body’s mobility by correcting bone alignment and lengthening tendons. Some neurosurgical procedures are:
When there is no cure, physiotherapy comes as a boon for help. It can help children with cerebral palsy regain control of their mobility, like standing, climbing, walking, and another approach we have discussed below.
It includes techniques that involve strengthening muscles, massaging, and boosting other complex learning-based skills.
Physiotherapy can help patients with cerebral palsy to lessen the symptoms through a series of muscle training exercises. Under the extreme care and guidance of Dr. Mrs. Surabhi Sachin Dhanwala (PT) at Dhanwala Naturo & Physio Care, also known as ‘the lady with magical hands,’ your children will get the best holistic non-invasive treatment for cerebral palsy.
Some techniques used for cerebral palsy treatment are:
Scalp acupuncture is one of the traditional methods to improve motor function and reduce muscle spasms.
It is also known as aquatic therapy. Basically, it is an underwater body exercise. It is helpful in the treatment of various diseases by varying duration, pressure, and temperature.
It helps children combine spatial relations, hearing, visual ability, and hand-eye coordination. It also helps improve fine motor skills.
It helps children to perform better at school and aids interaction with other kids for joint activities such as working on a group project.
It is also known as horse therapy. As the name suggests, it uses horse-like movement to enhance neurological and physical function.
This helps children perform daily tasks and activities and even enhances self-care, such as eating, sleeping, bathing, grooming, toileting, etc. Here, the focus is on upper body movements and small muscle coordination, which helps perform tasks like writing.
Consider choosing Dhanwala Naturo & Physio Care for cerebral palsy therapies. We provide a seamless combination of naturopathic wisdom and advanced physiotherapy. Our team is committed to developing individualized treatment programs that combine cutting-edge therapies with conventional healing methods.
Our goal is to lessen the symptoms of cerebral palsy in children while emphasizing overall wellness. You can expect to receive compassionate care for your kid, expert knowledge, and a commitment to your journey towards recovery. Book your appointment today!
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