Learn more about MyUofMHealth here. Updated visitor guidelines. Adult Cerebral Palsy Care. During clinic visits, you and your clinician should discuss lifestyle modifications to prevent these conditions or reduce their impact, including: Increasing physical activity and decreasing sedentary behavior to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk Adopting strength-building and balance exercises to improve muscle health and function, as well as to reduce the risk of falls and fractures Making smarter nutritional choices to help manage body weight and blood sugar Addressing sleep disorders such as insomnia and chronic obstructive sleep apnea Tracking progress and making further lifestyle adjustments between clinic visits Adult Cerebral Palsy Research Initiatives Above and beyond managing the symptoms of cerebral palsy, The Adult Cerebral Palsy Clinic and Research Program also focuses on helping patients reduce the impact of many common, chronic, lifestyle-related conditions seen in adults.
Recent University of Michigan research shows that adults with cerebral palsy are between two and five times more likely to have one or more of these conditions than are adults without cerebral palsy: Diabetes Asthma High blood pressure Cardiovascular disease Stroke Emphysema Joint pain Arthritis Osteoporosis Read more about the research here.
Upper Limb Movement and Posture — Researchers in the U-M School of Kinesiology, in collaboration with the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, are participating in innovative research exploring the quality of upper limb movements relative to posture, balance and dual task condition in adults with cerebral palsy.
Metabolics — Michigan Medicine physicians and researchers are investigating how metabolics oxygen consumption, glucose use work in people with cerebral palsy. Exercise — researchers are investigating the effects of exercise and fitness on people with cerebral palsy.
Nutrition — Michigan Medicine investigators are also at the forefront of exploring the role diet and nutrition play in helping adults with cerebral palsy improve overall health and manage symptoms.
Medications that can lessen muscle tightness might be used to improve functional abilities, treat pain and manage complications related to spasticity or other cerebral palsy symptoms. Muscle or nerve injections. To treat tightening of a specific muscle, your doctor might recommend injections of onabotulinumtoxinA Botox , or another agent.
The injections will need to be repeated about every three months. Side effects can include pain at the injection site and mild flu-like symptoms. Other more-serious side effects include difficulty breathing and swallowing. Oral muscle relaxants. Drugs such as baclofen, tizanidine Zanaflex , diazepam Valium or dantrolene Dantrium are often used to relax muscles. In some cases, baclofen is pumped into the spinal cord with a tube intrathecal baclofen.
The pump is surgically implanted under the skin of the abdomen. Talk to your doctor about benefits and risks and possible side effects of recommended medication options. Physical therapy. Muscle training and exercises can help your child's strength, flexibility, balance, motor development and mobility. You'll also learn how to safely care for your child's everyday needs at home, such as bathing and feeding your child.
Your therapist can provide guidance on how you can continue muscle training and exercise at home between therapy visits. For the first 1 to 2 years after birth, both physical and occupational therapists work on issues such as head and trunk control, rolling, and grasping.
Later, both types of therapists are involved in wheelchair assessments. Braces, splints or other supportive devices might be recommended for your child to help with function, such as improved walking, and stretching stiff muscles.
Surgery may be needed to lessen muscle tightness or correct bone abnormalities caused by spasticity. These treatments include:. As needed, medications and other treatments may be recommended for seizures, pain, osteoporosis, mental health conditions, and problems with sleep, oral health, feeding and nutrition, bladder incontinence, vision, or hearing.
As your child with cerebral palsy becomes an adult, his or her health care needs can change. In addition to general health screenings recommended for all adults, ongoing health care includes evaluation and treatment for conditions that are more common in adults with cerebral palsy. These can include:. Some children and adolescents with cerebral palsy use some form of complementary or alternative medicine. These are therapies that are unproved and have not been adopted into routine clinical practice.
If you're considering a complementary or alternative medicine or therapy, talk with your doctor about potential risks and benefits. Our doctors are with you for the entire journey, adjusting treatment plans to stay ahead of developmental changes and to ensure ongoing, proactive care for your child.
Children with cerebral palsy face many challenges, and those challenges are different for each child. The team caring for your child will be a proactive one, working to manage and stay ahead of the many symptoms and complications often associated with the condition.
For some patients, surgical intervention may be a necessary part of treatment. Surgical procedures to treat CP include:. In one place, at one time, you can consult with specialists working together to treat and support families facing the many challenges of cerebral palsy.
Our cerebral palsy team includes complex medicine pediatricians with expertise in children with multi-system medical conditions.
These specialists may include:. All are dedicated to caring for children with CP in its many forms. These specialists maintain an open dialogue with each other and with families, ensuring the most informed and collaborative approach to care. Meet our cerebral palsy team. Issues they may address include:. The complex care doctors work with your child's medical team and may recommend medications to address these problems or studies to better understand an issue.
They may make referrals to other specialists throughout the hospital. Page last reviewed: 13 February Next review due: 13 February For example, bone and joint problems can get worse and this may affect movement. It's important to continue having regular check-ups with your care team all your life. If your symptoms change or get worse, you should see your doctor. Physiotherapy Physiotherapy involves exercises to help maintain and hopefully improve movement.
It's one of the most important treatments for cerebral palsy. The main goals of physiotherapy are to: encourage movement increase strength and stop muscles becoming weak stop muscles shortening and losing their range of movement contracture , which can be painful and affect how the bones and muscles grow A physiotherapist may also advise on walking aids such as a walking frame or walking sticks if needed, and arm or leg braces called orthoses to support the limbs.
Speech and language therapy Speech and language therapy can help people who have trouble communicating. Occupational therapy Occupational therapy involves a therapist identifying problems that you or your child have carrying out everyday tasks.
Read more about occupational therapy.
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