How does cerebral palsy affect the body?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a problem that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills. It hinders the body’s ability to move in a coordinated and purposeful way. It also can affect other body functions that involve motor skills and muscles, like breathing, bladder and bowel control, eating, and talking.
How does cerebral palsy affect a person’s ability to walk?
Tight, stiff, overly toned muscles make controlling movements difficult. If it affects the muscles of the lower body, this type of cerebral palsy also makes walking difficult and causes a jerky, awkward gait. With dyskinetic cerebral palsy a person will struggle with involuntary movements in the muscles.
How does cerebral palsy affect you emotionally?
Living with the challenges of cerebral palsy can be difficult and, for some children and young people, can lead to emotional or behavioural problems. They may be more likely to get depression or anxiety, or may show behaviours that other people find difficult or upsetting (called ‘behaviour that challenges’).
What is the life expectancy for someone with cerebral palsy?
There is no set life expectancy for cerebral palsy patients. Life expectancy varies with each case of cerebral palsy and is dependent on the severity of the disorder and co-existing medical issues. Many children with milder forms of cerebral palsy have life spans close to that of the average population….
Does cerebral palsy affect intelligence?
Cerebral Palsy does not on its own affect a person’s intelligence. However, as many as 30-50% of children with CP have some form of cognitive impairment caused by a coexisting condition.
How do doctors test for cerebral palsy?
Specialists might suggest brain imaging tests, such as x-ray computed tomography (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An electroencephalogram (EEG), genetic testing, or metabolic testing, or a combination of these, also might be done. CP generally is diagnosed during the first or second year after birth.
What age is cerebral palsy detected?
The signs of cerebral palsy usually appear in the first few months of life, but many children are not diagnosed until age 2 or later.
What does cerebral palsy look like?
Movement and coordination problems associated with cerebral palsy include: Variations in muscle tone, such as being either too stiff or too floppy. Stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity) Stiff muscles with normal reflexes (rigidity)…
Can you outgrow cerebral palsy?
About half of babies who are diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy appear to outgrow their symptoms….
Does exercise help cerebral palsy?
There is strong evidence that adults with cerebral palsy can improve muscle fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, and joint ROM with exercise. Adults with cerebral palsy may have to start at a lower level and slowly increase the amount of time or intensity of the exercise.
Does stretching help cerebral palsy?
Although stretching may be beneficial to prevent worsening of muscle contractures (Wiart et al., 2008), as isolated treatments, they do not promote muscle length growth or improve function in children with CP….
How does cerebral palsy reduce muscle tone?
In general, treatment options for management of spasticity in children with cerebral palsy include oral medications, physical and occupational therapy, splinting and casting, chemodenervation with botulinum toxin or phenol, selective dorsal rhizotomy, intrathecal baclofen, and orthopedic surgery[4-6,8,10,11,17,18]….