Cerebral Palsy Spastic - The Correct Diagnosis Is Critical!
Cerebral palsy spastic is one of the cerebral palsy types, a type that is characterized by the increased tension or tone in the muscle, causing the blockage of the desirable movement. This type of cerebral palsy occurs as a result of the damage of the brain called cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain and it is affected in most of the cerebral palsy cases. If in the case of ataxic cerebral palsy, only 5 to 10 percent of the patients are affected, but in the case of cerebral palsy spastic, there are 70 to 80 percent of the patients. There are different types of cerebral palsy spastic, depending on the affected part of the body - in some cases, only a few movements are affected by this neurological disorder, in other severe cases the whole body can be affected. As in the case of other cerebral palsy types, the brain damage does not increase in time. However, the spasticity can unfortunately increase and cause more troubles to those who suffer from cerebral palsy spastic. It is important to mention that spastic cerebral palsy may be associated with anxiety, repetitive efforts and then excessive fatigue, an aspect that contributes to the worsening of the patient’s general health. Cerebral palsy spastic affects not only the muscles, but also the joints of the extremities, contributing thus to the formation of abnormal movements. This type of cerebral spastic can also present problematic protein synthesis in muscle cells, problems in longitudinal muscle growth and lack of normal movements.
There are different treatments for different types of cerebral palsy spastic. First of all, the severity of the symptoms is the main criteria for establishing the suitable cerebral palsy therapy, be it the case of physical therapy, cooling or any other therapy. There are oral medications available, medications that proved to be capable of reducing the unpleasant movement troubles. There is a relatively new method of treating cerebral palsy spastic with the help of baclofen infusion, but it is efficient only in the short run. As soon as the treatment stops, the spasticity is tends to come back. Besides, there are some aspects that are not known, such as the side effects in the long treatment period - therefore, this treatment of cerebral palsy is not highly recommended. Another new treatment of cerebral palsy spastic is represented by botox injections. The side effects seem to be minimal, fact that presents some advantages if compared to other types of treatment. Another way of treating cerebral palsy spastic is the orthopedic operation. The main role of the orthopedic surgery is to lengthen tendons and this contributes to a release in the previously mentioned symptoms. It is important to mention thus that this type of surgery does not affect directly the spasticity, but it contributes to a reduction of its consequences. In this way, the patient benefits from an amelioration of spasticity. In order to establish an effective type of treatment for the cerebral palsy spastic, an accurate cerebral palsy diagnosis is necessary. In some cases, the patient who suffers from cerebral palsy spastic needs the advice and direction of more than one specialist. Consulting a treatment team is recommended, as they can contribute to better results working together. A treatment team includes a pediatrician, physiatrist, physical therapist, neurologist and neurosurgeon. In some cases, when orthopedic surgery is necessary, the orthopedic surgeon can also contribute in reducing the consequences of the brain injury. |