Cerebral Palsy Treatments and Therapies

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a group of motor disorders associated with unusual or involuntary movements. According to the CDC, CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. While there is no cure, there are many cerebral palsy treatments and therapies that can improve function and minimize pain. These range from surgical and medical interventions to alternative therapies that can decrease symptoms of functional impairments and muscle tension. Each case will be different, but children often benefit from combining multiple types of cerebral palsy treatments and therapies into a comprehensive healthcare plan.

There are many different types of medications that can be used to treat the symptoms of cerebral palsy. Some of the most common types include:

• Anticholinergic medications: These drugs can slow the nerve responses that cause involuntary muscle movements and excessive drooling.
• Anticonvulsant medications: Many people with cerebral palsy also have
• Antidepressants: The physical and/or cognitive limitations imposed on people with cerebral palsy often lead to feelings of frustration and sometimes more serious mental health concerns such as depression. In such cases, antidepressants may be a necessary complement to therapy and other measures to promote mental and emotional well-being.
• Anti-inflammatory medications: can be used to manage pain symptoms in people with cerebral palsy.
• Muscle relaxants: These can treat spasticity, increase the range of motion, and inhibit excessive muscle contractions. Two very common muscle relaxants for cerebral palsy are botox injections and baclofen, which can be taken orally or through a surgically-implanted pump.
• Laxatives: Used to treat a common cerebral palsy symptom, constipation.
• Melatonin: People with cerebral palsy may experience sleeping difficulties as a result of pain and discomfort. Melatonin can be a helpful supplement.

As with any type of treatment, it’s important to speak with your child’s doctor and specialists about which medications are right for them. Don’t hesitate to raise concerns or questions about specific medications.

Medical equipment can help improve function and quality of life for children as part of a comprehensive cerebral palsy treatment plan. Each child’s needs will be different, so this is not a complete list. However, the following types of equipment can improve health outcomes and/or physical abilities in people with cerebral palsy:

• Feeding tubes: People with severe cerebral palsy may be unable to feed themselves and require a nasogastric (inserted through the nose) or gastronomy (inserted directly into the abdomen) tube.
• Hearing devices: Hearing impairment is a symptom for roughly 1-20% of children with cerebral palsy. About 5% of these children are deaf. They may benefit from hearing aids and cochlear implants.
• Vagus-nerve stimulators: A device used to control seizures. It is implanted in the chest, with a wire that is wound around the vagus nerve. The stimulator prevents seizure activity by sending pulses of electrical energy to the brain.
• Breathing aids: Some people with cerebral palsy experience respiratory problems, such as daily coughing or wheezing, coughing with drinking, abnormal pulmonary exams, sleep apnea, or others. These issues can be caused by muscle weakness, swallowing dysfunction, decreased sensitivity of cough receptors, and gastro-oesophageal reflux, among other causes. Common treatments for breathing difficulties in people with CP include intrapulmonary percussion, cough assist devices, and chest physiotherapy.
• Vision aids: Roughly one-third to one-half of children with cerebral palsy also have vision problems, such as strabismus (“cross-eyes”), visual field defects, cerebral visual impairment (CVI), and others. Roughly 20% of children with CP are blind. Glasses and contact lenses can help correct some of these issues.

Assistive technology or adaptive equipment are additional devices that can help improve your child’s function and independence. Unfortunately, paying for medical equipment and assistive devices as part of your child’s cerebral palsy treatments can be very costly. It can be stressful for caregivers to juggle work, meet their child’s special needs, and afford mounting medical expenses in addition to everyday necessities.

The following resources may assist caregivers with paying for their child’s medical equipment and other devices:

• United Cerebral Palsy
• Friends of Disabled Children and Adults
• The Kids Equipment Network
• State Assistive Technology Projects

If your child’s cerebral palsy was caused by medical malpractice at birth, you may have a legal case. A lawyer can help you recover the finances you need to pay for your child’s cerebral palsy treatments and cover any other future care.

Understandably, some parents and caregivers feel upset or overwhelmed by the idea of a lawsuit. At our firm, ABC Law Centers, we know that taking care of your child is your number one priority. Our practice focuses on helping families like yours make sure that their child has all the resources they need to be taken care of, for the rest of their life.

We’ve helped countless children with cerebral palsy and other birth injuries, and it begins with a free and compassionate consultation. In fact, no family pays any fees to our firm unless we win or settle your case.

Although there are no surgeries that can cure cerebral palsy, there are many that can improve the health and quality of life for people with the disorder. It is important to note that some of these surgeries require extensive post-operative rehabilitation and care in order for the patient to reap the benefits of the procedure itself. Therefore, surgical intervention should be considered a complement to, rather than a replacement for, other forms of cerebral palsy treatment and therapy.

Some types of surgery that may benefit people with cerebral palsy include the following:

• Insertion of intrathecal baclofen pump: This allows the medication to be administered straight to the spinal cord, which has been reported to have more advantages compared to the oral version.
• Gastroenterology surgery: Some people with cerebral palsy struggle with chewing, swallowing, or digesting food. In certain cases, gastroenterological surgery may be necessary to alleviate these issues. Some examples include feeding tube insertion and myotomy (a surgery designed to improve swallowing).
• Hearing correction surgery: Individuals whose cerebral palsy causes hearing impairment may benefit from cochlear implant surgery or a stapedectomy, which changes the bone structure of the ear.
• Neurosurgery: There are certain procedures that can improve the symptoms of cerebral palsy by addressing the root neurological problems. These surgeries involve modifying connections in the nervous system. One example is selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), which is a surgery that may help people with spastic cerebral palsy. During an SDR, physicians test sensory nerves in the lower spinal cord in order to identify the ones that are misfiring. They can then selectively destroy these nerves, which can decrease spasticity and improve muscle tone. SDR is associated with small, but measurable, improvement in motor function in patients with spastic CP.
• Orthopedic surgery: Orthopedic surgeries can help to improve musculoskeletal abnormalities, spasticity, and issues with balance and walking. Some examples include hip muscle release, tendon lengthening, and lumbar spinal fusion (to improve spinal stability).
• Vision correction surgery: People with visual impairments may need strabismus correction, which can restore binocular vision in people with strabismus.

There are many types of therapy that can alleviate the symptoms of cerebral palsy and improve long-term function. Early intervention is crucial because therapy can stop certain problems from developing in the first place and minimize the severity of other issues. Children with cerebral palsy may benefit from the following types of therapy:

• Occupational therapy: The goal of occupational therapy is to identify problems that a patient has doing everyday tasks. An occupational therapist can then advise best practices for that person to carry out those activities and boost the person’s self-esteem and independence.
• Physical therapy: Can increase the range of motion, strength, coordination, and other aspects of motor control. Therapy sessions may include exercises, massage, and other activities.
• Speech therapy: Cerebral palsy can affect the control of the face and upper airway, resulting in issues with speaking and swallowing. Speech therapy can improve both of these problems by helping people find alternative methods of communication, providing special equipment to aid in speech, or offering speech exercises catered to the needs of the patient.
• Complementary and alternative therapy: There are many other types of alternative therapies that may help people with cerebral palsy (although efficacy has not been proven for all such treatments). These include hippotherapy (therapeutic horseback riding), acupuncture, yoga, hydrotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, threshold electrical stimulation, and more.

There are many causes of cerebral palsy, including an injury or oxygen-depriving event at or near the time of birth. In some cases, cerebral palsy is the result of medical malpractice. 

A common example is when medical professionals fail to perform an emergency C-section when a baby is showing signs of fetal distress. A baby in distress may not get enough oxygen and suffer a brain injury called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). If the parts of the brain that control movement are injured, it can lead to cerebral palsy. If medical professionals fail to recognize signs of distress and take appropriate actions to treat a baby with HIE, it’s considered medical malpractice.

No, filing a medical malpractice lawsuit will not interfere with your child’s current treatments. At our firm, our attorneys are entirely focused on building your case while making sure your family can have peace of mind and get your child the care that they need.

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