There was a time when people who had disabilities were treated as if they should live their entire lives as helpless medical patients. Fortunately, times have changed. Today, medicine recognizes the value of exercise for just about everybody who is capable of it.
People who have cerebral palsy suffer debilitating spasms to their muscles, as well as other effects. Sometimes, physical therapy means getting a bit of exercise and making sure that even if muscle performance and tone are not as regular and reliable as they are for people without cerebral palsy, they are as good as they can be.
Physical Therapists
Therapists are always devising new ways to help their patients. For cerebral palsy sufferers, some of those innovative treatments involve the use of heat and cold to change muscle tone. Combined with the right types of exercise, these treatments allow physical therapists to push cerebral palsy sufferers a bit farther and to help them realize the ability to do things that they never thought they could do. Balance, coordination and muscle control can all be improved through certain types of exercises for some patients.
There is always work being done in pharmaceutical research, as well. Pharmaceuticals that help people to control their muscles and reduce spasticity are being employed widely as treatments for cerebral palsy. Oftentimes, they can reduce the severity of symptoms enough for cerebral palsy sufferers to enjoy a better range of motion, more comfort and, in some cases, these treatments can greatly reduce the incidence and severity of debilitating spasm episodes.
Parents
In some cases, the cerebral palsy sufferer ends up confined to a wheelchair and almost completely incapable of performing any activity requiring balance, strength or coordination. In such cases, it’s still beneficial for parents to get their child outside to enjoy the fresh air and to encourage them to participate in activities however they can. Resources such as advocacy organizations and your doctor will likely have great information on how you can make life more enjoyable and more exciting for your child, even if they’re confined to a wheelchair full-time.
There are cases where cerebral palsy is completely the result of medical malpractice. These are instances where you need to speak with a cerebral palsy lawyer. No matter how much treatments can improve the life of somebody who suffers of cerebral palsy, an instance of medical negligence that compromises somebody’s life to such a degree is always cause to weigh the benefits of filing a lawsuit.