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Medication (1):
Side effects for both medications include pain/loss of feeling at injection site, rash, flu like symptoms, headache, dizziness, drowsiness or weakness, nausea and vomiting.
Side effects include headache, dizziness, drowsiness, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, pain in abdomen, diarrhea (3).
Treatment/Alternative Treatment:
Skills, equipment to live as functionally as possible: Braces, other aids, OT, PT, speech therapy, Adapted computers
–Extensive massage/physical therapy may yield surprising results: interferes with proprioceptive limitations (5).
Surgery/Surgical
-Intrathecal baclofen pump insertion: to treat spasticity and/or dystonia
-Selective dorsal rhizotomy: To treat velocity-dependent spasticity
-Stereotactic basal ganglia: May improve rigidity, choreoathetosis, and tremor
-Orthopedic surgical intervention: To treat scoliosis, joint contractures or dislocation(5).
Rehab: The type of therapy and special equipment needed after surgery (such as braces, casts, and splints) depends on the child's specific needs. Most children need physical therapy after surgery. In general, post-surgical physical therapy usually starts as soon as possible and may continue for as long as 6 months (4)
-Physical Therapy: A child with cerebral palsy usually begins physical therapy soon after being diagnosed. Physical therapy improves motor skills—such as sitting and walking—and muscle strength. It can also help prevent shortening of muscles that limit joint movement. Sometimes braces, splints or casts are used along with physical therapy(1).
Massage Therapy (5):
- Risks: Be sensitive to non-verbal communication; numbness may be present; some touch may trigger painful spasms
-Benefits: If cautions are respected, massage can be a helpful and supportive part of a CP patient’s strategy.
-Effectiveness: Relaxes muscles/body, puts them into a better mindset (older children), help release tension, eliminate some pain.
-CI: Client is experiencing any numbness
- Oral injected muscle relaxants- works in different ways to relax muscles and reduce spasms.
- Botox prevents muscles from receiving nerve stimulation, therefore helping to reduce the muscle spasms.
Side effects for both medications include pain/loss of feeling at injection site, rash, flu like symptoms, headache, dizziness, drowsiness or weakness, nausea and vomiting.
- Antispasmodic medication can provide long-term reductions in muscle spasms. This may help improve movement, speech, swallowing and alertness.
- Anti-seizure medication could be prescribed to help control and prevent seizures.
- Bisphosphonates may improve bone density by slowing down the cells which break down bone, slowing down bone loss, allowing the osteoblasts to work more effectively. They can help to strengthen bone and help to prevent it getting any weaker.
Side effects include headache, dizziness, drowsiness, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, pain in abdomen, diarrhea (3).
Treatment/Alternative Treatment:
Skills, equipment to live as functionally as possible: Braces, other aids, OT, PT, speech therapy, Adapted computers
–Extensive massage/physical therapy may yield surprising results: interferes with proprioceptive limitations (5).
Surgery/Surgical
-Intrathecal baclofen pump insertion: to treat spasticity and/or dystonia
-Selective dorsal rhizotomy: To treat velocity-dependent spasticity
-Stereotactic basal ganglia: May improve rigidity, choreoathetosis, and tremor
-Orthopedic surgical intervention: To treat scoliosis, joint contractures or dislocation(5).
Rehab: The type of therapy and special equipment needed after surgery (such as braces, casts, and splints) depends on the child's specific needs. Most children need physical therapy after surgery. In general, post-surgical physical therapy usually starts as soon as possible and may continue for as long as 6 months (4)
-Physical Therapy: A child with cerebral palsy usually begins physical therapy soon after being diagnosed. Physical therapy improves motor skills—such as sitting and walking—and muscle strength. It can also help prevent shortening of muscles that limit joint movement. Sometimes braces, splints or casts are used along with physical therapy(1).
Massage Therapy (5):
- Risks: Be sensitive to non-verbal communication; numbness may be present; some touch may trigger painful spasms
-Benefits: If cautions are respected, massage can be a helpful and supportive part of a CP patient’s strategy.
-Effectiveness: Relaxes muscles/body, puts them into a better mindset (older children), help release tension, eliminate some pain.
-CI: Client is experiencing any numbness