Cerebral Palsy Treatments
Therapies Help Children Cope with a Serious Medical Condition
Sep 29, 2009
Cerebral palsy is a disorder that causes children's muscles to become weak or rigid and stiff. According to the Mayo Clinic, cerebral palsy afflicts two to four children out of 1,000 in the United States and Europe. The disorder has no cure, but a number of different therapies can offer significant relief.
Physical Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
A physical therapist will devise an exercise plan that will be appropriate for the child. The goal of physical therapy is to improve flexibility, strength and mobility. The exercise program may be provided in a hospital, clinic or school, and will be continued at home. Therapy will start with exercises to stretch muscles, which will help with flexibility. Strengthening exercises such as resistance training can work specific muscle groups, allowing your child better body support. Positioning techniques involve placing the body in a certain position for an extended period of time to minimize unwanted muscle tone.
Speech Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
A speech therapist will teach the child how to communicate better. She will begin by teaching the child how to speak more clearly or how to communicate through sign language or through facial expressions. Computers may be used to amplify a soft voice or provide programs on how to practice speech.
Occupational Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
An occupational therapist can help the child learn how to become more independent by teaching them how to bathe, dress themselves, tie shoes, brush teeth, feed themselves and to write. A child can learn hand-eye coordination in order to play basic games like batting a ball or hitting a target. Occupational therapy can also teach the child how to deal with anger by not acting out and dealing with emotion in more positive ways.
Dolphin Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
Dolphin therapy may sound new, but was actually developed 25 years ago by David E. Nathanson. The therapy involves an encounter between the child and a dolphin. The dolphin is thought to recognize the disorder within the child and the two are able to forge a camaraderie that allows openness to learning which speeds up developmental progress. There are several dolphin therapy centers including two in Florida, the Island Dolphin Care and the Dolphin Human Therapy both in Key Largo.
Spacesuit Therapy for Cerebral Palsy
Spacesuit therapy involves a suit that is form-fitting with elastic cords attaching to various parts of the body such as the knees, feet, torso, head and arms. The goal of the suit is to limit movement in the body so that proper alignment can be achieved. The benefits of the spacesuit therapy include improving muscle tone, motor skills, balance, proper alignment of the body and a retraining of the nervous system to provide regular body movement.
 |
