Appropriate Therapyfor Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term referring to a group of various conditions thus no two people is alike even though they have similar diagnosis. There are three major classifications of cerebral palsy describing different impairments on movements and reflecting the damage area of the brain. They are Spastic, Athetoid, Ataxic or Mixed.

Spastic cerebral palsy is classified further by topography depending on the affected region of the body. The classifications include hemiplegia affecting one side more than the other, diplegia affecting the lower body more than the upper body and quadriplegia affecting the four limbs equally.

Cerebral palsy is a disorder that is not progressive. An individual’s disorder can improve during childhood when extensive care from specialists is properly given. The injury of the brain is not progressive but adults with cerebral palsy shows signs of functional declines. This includes decrease in motion range, loss of ambulation or increased pain. They also have an accelerated process of aging, arthritis and osteoporosis.

Individuals with cerebral palsy can live independently depending on the severity of disability. Some may require personal assistant providing services on the daily living activities for individuals having cerebral palsy. Survival of individuals with cerebral palsy is associated with the ability to roll, ambulate or self feed.

Cerebral palsy has no cure but different forms of cerebral palsy therapy can help an individual to function more effectively. Standing frames can be incorporated reducing spasticity and improving motion range for people having cerebral palsy using wheelchairs.

The treatment is normally symptomatic focusing on helping the individual in developing possible motor skills and learning how to compensate lack of them. The disorder does not necessarily affect the life span of an individual so the treatment basically lies on improving the quality of life. Research shows that people with cerebral palsy availing the systems like Blissymbols, which is a form of augmentative, and alternative communication system are often successful.

There are also alternative treatments appropriate for cerebral palsy. There is an available not profit organization dedicated for health and development of children having some form of brain damage including children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

You can ask the help of the Institute for Achievement of Human Potential established in May of 1955 that has helped and treated thousands of children. They claim that a home program with a healthy diet, respiratory programs and clean air can help children with cerebral palsy and neurological problems without the need of medication.