Cerebral is a severe condition that can occur due to damage to the brain before, during birth, or during the postnatal period. It is a non-fatal, non-curable, and non-progressive motor disability. It can affect the hearing, vision, and also speech of the infant. A physiotherapist can properly assess the extent of the disability in the growing child.
Perks Of Opting For Physical Therapy!
Physiotherapy, in this case, involves task-specific repetitive exercises that can help greatly improve neuroplasticity and maximize the muscular function of the child. Expert Physio in Adelaide can help develop a plan according to the specific patient’s needs. Here are some of how physiotherapy can help counter cerebral palsy:
- Assistive And Supportive Aids: These aids can be of different types that support different body parts and attain normal posture. These may include splints to maintain normal posture and stiff collars that support the neck. However, these aids should not be used for prolonged periods as they can cause acute muscle atrophy.
- Reflex Inhibition And Facilitation: This technique is used by physiotherapists to inhibit abnormal movement patterns and posture. This gives the child a sense of more normal movement patterns. The treatment is focused on specific key points of control like the pelvic girdles, shoulders, neck, and head. The physiotherapist makes the child more prepared for movement by starting off at distant points of movement.
- Balance Interventions: Children who have cerebral palsy often suffer from multiple disorders which can affect their sight, somatosensory control, postural control, and stability. An experienced physio in Adelaide will work with the child to properly manage its balancing issues by stabilizing the antagonistic and synergistic muscle activities.
- Hydrotherapy: The main cause of resistance to motion in cerebral palsy patients is irregular muscle contractions. In hydrotherapy, the child’s body is immersed partially in warm water. This helps to relax the muscles and leads to an improvement in their mobility and functional skills. It also reduces spasticity in the body. As a result of reduced spasticity, the range of motion of joints increases, and the child gains a better posture.
- Neuromotor Development: As motor abilities are inhibited in children with cerebral palsy, they can only use motor skills within their range of development. The therapist places the child in a normal posture which helps them stimulate normal posture. After this, the child is subjected to successive developmental sequences to improve mobility and range of motion.
Final Thoughts
Cerebral palsy is a non-fatal disease, but it can severely affect the life of the patient and their caretakers. A knowledgeable physiotherapist can help improve the situation by improving the patient’s body posture, stability, motor reflexes, and other sensory functions.
Even the smallest improvement in the child’s state can greatly help. An expert physiotherapist from Wakefield Sports can provide education, advice, and supervision to patients with cerebral palsy, the child’s family, and their caretakers. This will automatically improve the chances of better and faster recovery from the condition allowing one to live a better life.
