Let’s better understand Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is a broad term relating to a movement disorder caused by an injury to the brain during foetal development or up to 1 month after birth of the baby. After 1 month of age the most common cause of brain damage is a stroke. Cerebral Palsy is diagnosed in approximately 1 in 700 babies in Australia and around 34,000 people in Australia live with Cerebral Palsy. Individuals with Cerebral Palsy can present in many different ways, some are able to walk, run and work, others may use a wheelchair for mobility and require more assistance as Cerebral Palsy may effect how they participate in their day to day activities. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles. CP is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person’s ability to control his or her muscles.The symptoms of CP vary from person to person. A person with severe CP might need to use special equipment to be able to walk, or might not be able to walk at all and might need lifelong care. A person with mild CP, on the other hand, might walk a little awkwardly, but might not need any special help. CP does not get worse over time, though the exact symptoms can change over a person’s lifetime. All people with CP have problems with movement and posture. Many also have related conditions such as intellectual disability, seizures, problems with vision, hearing, or speech; changes in the spine, such as scoliosis; or joint problems such as contractures.

What types of Cerebral Palsy are there?

Spastic Cerebral Palsy

The most common type of CP is spastic CP. Spastic CP affects about 80-90% of people with CP.

People with spastic CP have increased muscle tone. This means their muscles are stiff and, as a result, their movements can be awkward. Spastic CP usually is described by what parts of the body are affected:

Spastic diplegia/diparesis―In this type of CP, muscle stiffness is mainly in the legs, with the arms less affected or not affected at all. People with spastic diplegia might have difficulty walking because tight hip and leg muscles cause their legs to pull together, turn inward, and cross at the knees (also known as scissoring).

Spastic hemiplegia/hemiparesis―This type of CP affects only one side of a person’s body; usually the arm is more affected than the leg.

Spastic quadriplegia/quadriparesis―Spastic quadriplegia is the most severe form of spastic CP and affects all four limbs, the trunk, and the face. People with spastic quadriparesis usually cannot walk and often have other developmental disabilities such as intellectual disability; seizures; or problems with vision, hearing, or speech.

Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy (also includes athetoid, choreoathetoid, and dystonic cerebral palsies)

People with dyskinetic CP have problems controlling the movement of their hands, arms, feet, and legs, making it difficult to sit and walk. The movements are uncontrollable and can be slow and writhing or rapid and jerky. Sometimes the face and tongue are affected and the person has a hard time sucking, swallowing, and talking. A person with dyskinetic CP has muscle tone that can change (varying from too tight to too loose) not only from day to day, but even during a single day.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

People with ataxic CP have problems with balance and coordination. They might be unsteady when they walk. They might have a hard time with quick movements or movements that need a lot of control, like writing. They might have a hard time controlling their hands or arms when they reach for something.

Mixed Cerebral Palsy

Some people have symptoms of more than one type of CP. The most common type of mixed CP is spastic-dyskinetic CP.

What parts of the body does Cerebral Palsy affect?

What does Cerebral Palsy impact?

Cerebral Palsy can affect a range of areas such as:

• Swallowing 

• Breathing 

• Eating 

• Speaking

• Hearing 

• Maintaining posture

• Smooth movements

• Cognition - learning delay 

• Walking

• Self Feeding and fine hand movements 

What are some of the early warning signs?

The signs of CP vary greatly because there are many different types and levels of disability. The main sign that a child might have CP is a delay reaching motor or movement milestones (such as rolling over, sitting, standing, or walking). Following are some other signs of possible CP. It is important to note that some children without CP also might have some of these signs.

In a Baby Younger Than 6 Months of Age

• The child’s head my lag when you pick them up from a lying position

• The child may feel excessively stiff or floppy compare to other children of similar age

• When your child’s cradled in your arms, they seems to overextend their back and neck, constantly acting as if pushing away from you

• When you pick them up, their legs get stiff and they cross or scissor

In a Baby Older Than 6 Months of Age

• They may not roll over in either direction

• They don’t appear to be able to bring their hands together

• Difficulty bringing their hands to their mouth

• They may reach out with only one hand while keeping the other fisted

In a Baby Older Than 10 Months of Age

• They may crawl in a lopsided manner, pushing off with one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg

• They may scoot around on their bottom or hop on their knees, but don’t not crawl on all fours

What can be done to help Cerebral Palsy?

Firstly, it’s important to note the large individuality of the condition and how the supports needed must be very specifically tailored to the individual. We have had a lot of success over the years working with patients and their varying goals. Here are just some key area’s that can be assisted with the right support:

• Support attainment of developmental milestones in infants

• Improved co-ordination and balance

• Specific sport skills attainment

• Task/goal specific strengthening relevant to activities of daily living (ADLs)

• Gait retraining using the Motek C-Mill (link to C-Mill on our website)

• Upper limb retraining using the suite of Tyromotion robotics (link to tyromotion on our website)

• Prescribing suitable equipment/aids to assist daily tasks

How can Aevum assist Cerebral Palsy?

At Aevum we have a multidisciplinary team of passionate Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Exercise Physiologists working together as a cohesive team to support individuals with CP. You will have access to assistive walking devices for our older clientele such as the Anti-gravity treadmill and the C-mill by Motek built for a range of individuals to practice all levels of walking ability. Our Peadiatric Physiotherapists can assist the development of rolling, crawling, walking or mobility aids to provide your child an opportunity to participate in activities with their peers enabling them to reach their potential as they become older. If you are looking for an experienced team to support you, you can CONTACT US to learn more about our services and make an appointment with our team.