Cerebral palsy is a condition affecting the immature tissues of the brain during or soon after birth. It can cause difficulty with development and a child can struggle to achieve their normal developmental milestones.
Our neurological physiotherapists are experts in helping children with Cerebral Palsy optimise their opportunities for normal movement experiences. We help them to integrate with and learn from their environment.
The severity of symptoms can vary significantly. Some people only have minor problems whilst others may be severely disabled. These can include change of muscle tone, weak arms or legs, fidgety, jerky or clumsy movements, random uncontrolled movements, and a range of other problems such as swallowing difficulties, speaking problems, vision problems and learning difficulties.
Children with cerebral palsy differ from adults in that their brains (their movement control centre) and their musculoskeletal system (bones and muscles) are not yet fully developed.
Cerebral palsy impacts on a child’s ability to control movement making muscles floppy (low toned or flaccidity), stiff (high toned or spasticity) or uncoordinated (dystonia and ataxia).
Children learn through movement they explore play and learn about, depth, shape, texture, volume distance and harm by moving through their environment. When moving is difficult learning becomes a greater challenge.
Stiff, floppy or uncoordinated muscles pull on the immature and growing skeleton and this can cause developmental problems such as scoliosis, contractures and joint problems especially in the hips.
Physiotherapists work to re-educate more normal movement patterns and treat and manage the muscles to maximise the child’s opportunity to learn through movement and reduce the impact of the pull on growing bones.
Our physiotherapists can work with a child at school or at home, we have physiotherapists working in our Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire communities.
Although every individual with cerebral palsy is different, the main focus of physiotherapy is to improve a person’s ability to move and maximise their independence. To achieve this a physiotherapist will work to:
The SP Therapy Services physiotherapy team can work with patients at your home address, we have physiotherapists working in our Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire communities.
