Cerebral Palsy Therapy

A Guide To Cerebral Palsy Therapy For Spastic Cerebral Palsy

The basis for cerebral palsy therapy with high tone or spasticty is use of movement to reduce tone. Initially, movement is passive to elongate muscles in the trunk and extremities. Spasticity is one of the impairments that affects function following brain damage. In children with cerebral palsy the impairments of overactivity, inappropriate muscle force, adaptive soft tissue changes due to overactivity and imbalances with growth are most evident in younger children whereas weakness and adptive soft tissue change due to non use may become increasingly evident in the adolescent years.

A ball or roll may be use for cerebral palsy therapy with spasticity child, the child is picked up in the desired position and placed on the ball. To reduce spasticity, the child is slowly rocked on the ball or roll, the more proximally the child is held, the less trunk work he or she must do. A muscle tone is reduced, the child may be held further down on the legs.

In young children with cerebral palsy, the greater issue is overactivity leading to increased muscle stiffness and reduced muscle excursion rather than inactivity leading to soft tissue adaptations. In cerebral palsy therapy it is necessary to determine the relative contribution of muscle overactivity and length to alignment. For examples, it is common for children with cerebral palsy to stand up on their toes with their knees flexed due to hamstring contracture and or quadriceps weakness.

The models in cerebral palsy therapy with spastic cerebral palsy are based on neurodevelopmental treatment, sensory motor treatment, sensory integration, and occupational behavior.

Cerebral palsy therapy with spasticity in motor areas, inhibit the person’s abnormal reflex patterns and facilitate normal posture and movement patterns by handling ( guiding ) the head and trunk to help the person feel and learn normal sequences of movement in head control, trunk control, weight shifting, weight bearing, and mobility. Facilitate head control by improving the balance of neck flexion and extension and lateral flexion. Balance postural tone. Increase functional range of motion in extremities and promote use of arms and hand functions.

The sensory areas in cerebral palsy therapy, encourage movement against gravity to facilitate learning how to control movement. Facilitate experiencing the sensation of movement with vestibular, proprioceptive, and kinesthetic input to promote learning about movement.