Forms Of Cerebral Palsy in Children

If you’re searching for resources regarding the management of cerebral palsy in children, you’ve come to the right place. Peak Physical Therapy is the leading pediatric physical therapy near me that specializes in the treatment and management of cerebral palsy in children. In this blog, we’re breaking down the categories of children’s cerebral palsy, along with treatment options that our pediatric physical therapist team can conduct to manage your child’s cerebral palsy. Read along to learn more about how you can navigate your children’s cerebral palsy diagnosis with the help of the Peak Physical Therapy pediatric team.

What is cerebral palsy?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cerebral palsy in children is the most common among all the motor disabilities found in children. It is a group of disorders that affect a child’s mobility, balance, and posture. The range of symptoms is broad, ranging from mild to severe. Although cerebral palsy in children does not necessarily get worse over time, symptoms can change throughout a person’s lifetime. Common symptoms include:

• Seizures
• Vision problems
• Changes in the spine
• Joint problems
• Irregular gait

There are different categories of cerebral palsy that feature different symptoms. There are four main types of children’s cerebral palsy that your pediatric physical therapy near me specializes in treating. Take a closer look with our pediatric physical therapist office into these disorder categories.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Ataxic cerebral palsy in children is identified by people with coordination and balance issues. Common features of ataxic cerebral palsy include trouble walking, problems with quick movements, movement control issues, and more. At your pediatric physical therapy near me, our Peak Physical Therapy team will work to identify your child’s symptoms and develop a care plan that focuses on strengthening your child’s confidence and coping mechanisms in those areas and beyond.

Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy

Dyskinetic cerebral palsy is identified by the ability to control the limbs. This form of cerebral palsy in children makes it difficult to sit and walk, and movements become uncontrollable. Other symptoms of this form of children’s cerebral palsy include:

• Rapid, jerky movements
• Slow, writing movements
• Difficulty swallowing, sucking, and/or talking

In dyskinetic cerebral palsy, muscle tones can change from too tight to too loose within a single day. Our team of specialists at your pediatric physical therapy near me will diagnose your children’s cerebral palsy symptoms and develop a care and treatment plan for both in-office and at home to maximize your child’s improvements.

Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form of cerebral palsy. Spastic cerebral palsy affects around 80% of those living with cerebral palsy. The main feature of spastic cerebral palsy is the stiffness of the muscles. This affects movement from all areas of the body, and is broken up into three main groups:

• Spastic diplegia/diparesis: This form of cerebral palsy in children features significant leg muscle stiffness, with little to no effect on the arms. Children living with spastic diplegia commonly exhibit trouble walking.
• Spastic hemiplegia/hemiparesis: In spastic hemiplegia/hemiparesis, only one side of a person’s body is affected. In this form of cerebral palsy in children, the arms are more commonly affected than the legs are.
• Spastic quadriplegia/quadriparesis: This is the most severe form of spastic cerebral palsy. With this disorder, all four limbs, the trunk, and the face are affected. This subcategory of children’s cerebral palsy often disables the child’s ability to walk and may feature other symptoms including seizures, vision problems, trouble with speech and hearing, and even intellectual disabilities.

Mixed Cerebral Palsy

In some cases, cerebral palsy in children cannot be neatly defined under one subcategory. In this instance, your child may have mixed cerebral palsy.Mixed cerebral palsy features a mixture of symptoms of more than one type of cerebral palsy. The most common type of mixed cerebral palsy is spastic-dyskinetic cerebral palsy. If your child is diagnosed with mixed cerebral palsy, your pediatric physical therapist is dedicated to uncovering all symptoms, developing a curated care plan, measuring progress, and providing your child with relief of their symptoms.

Peak Physical Therapy | Pediatric Physical Therapist

If you’re searching for relief for your child, look no further than the leader in pediatric physical therapy near me at Peak Physical Therapy. Our professionals are dedicated to providing quality care with peak results, no matter the severity of the symptoms of your children’s cerebral palsy. For more information on our specialization in cerebral palsy in children, visit our website or contact us today.