Cerebral Palsy Types and Treatment

Cerebral Palsy - Causes, Types and Treatment
By Sally Aspinall

“Cerebral” is medical terminology for the brain. “Palsy” means a disorder of movement or posture. So in simple terms, Cerebral Palsy (CP) describes a group of conditions where movement and posture are affected as a result of damage to one or more areas of the brain. Cerebral palsy is characterized by an inability to fully control motor function, particularly muscle control and coordination.

Depending on which areas of the brain have been damaged, one or more of the following may also be present although every person with CP is affected in a different way:

• Balance and coordination problems
• Difficulty controlling and maintaining posture (help required to sit upright)
• Epilepsy – Up to one in three children with CP also have epilepsy.
• Difficulty eating and drinking (swallowing) and talking
• Learning difficulties

Cerebral Palsy is the most common childhood physical disability. Around one in every 400 children born in developed countries has CP. In the United States, it is estimated that some 764,000 children and adults exhibit one or more of the symptoms of Cerebral Palsy. Around 8,000 babies and infants are newly diagnosed with the condition each year. Despite medical advances, incidence has not declined over the last 60 years.