Cerebral Palsy is an umbrella term for a wide range of symptoms and presentations that affect your whole child, not just their movement, with many different treatment options. We can only just touch the tip of the iceberg on this page.
Each child is individual and unique. There are so many different ways we can help you, your child, your family, school and everyone involved with your journey when understanding this condition, how it affects your lives and how to get the best for your child.
Dr Epps was recently asked by a leading UK Case Management firm to provide a short summary of 5 ways that physiotherapy can make a difference to children with CP for World Cerebral Palsy Day.
What does it mean for my child?
There are different classifications of cerebral palsy from Gross Motor Functional Classification I (least affected) to V (very severely affected). We have considerable experience working with babies, children and teenagers who all present with different challenges. We are here to help.
Why does my baby need physiotherapy now?
- Babies learn to move by the easiest & most efficient means.
- If one part of their body works more easily, they will use it & an imbalance will occur as they compensate & overuse certain muscles, especially those with spasticity (stiffness).
- The earlier physiotherapy treatment starts the better to help your baby learn to move & develop in a way that influences their muscle tone positively & allows them to experience the same patterns of movement used had their injury not occurred.
- We address the sensory system to influence how your baby or child interprets & understands their body (that doesn’t always do what they want it to do) & the world around them.
- We assess your baby or child for mobility, postural management, modified gym, trikes and sensory equipment, lycra suits, hydrotherapy, RDA and rebound if required.
Does my child still need physiotherapy as they are getting older?
- As your child ages and increases in height and weight it becomes more difficult for them to maintain their posture and limbs against gravity and the effort required to maintain their physical abilities can be difficult.
- Bones and muscles don’t grow at the same rate and your child may for example go up onto their toes each time they have a growth spurt.
- If your child is in mainstream school the gap between their abilities and those of their peers can widen over time.
- We can advise on your child’s statement of educational need to help them to get additional support in nursery, school and college.
- If your teenager spends most of their time in a wheelchair they are at risk of becoming stiff in this position and their muscles can shorten or lengthen to accommodate their posture eventually leading to permanent shortening and joint deformity if not managed with physiotherapy and equipment.
- If your teenager walks independently they may find it becomes more effortful following growth spurts.
We are highly specialised paediatric neurophysiotherapists, and we do provide “more than just therapy,” contact us, come and see us and let us share our experience with you.