Feb
26
2009
Cerebral palsy is an incurable disorder, so there is no way to completely treat it. But there are many cerebral palsy treatments that will help to reduce the effects of the disease. Each case is of course different and will require different types of treatment for their cerebral palsy type. Usually getting various types of cerebral palsy treatments will offer the best effects.
Lets take a look at some of the different types of cerebral palsy treatments that are available. Most of the cerebral palsy treatments are determined by a team of doctors that will evaluate the patient. This team of doctors will be orthopedist, psychologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language therapist and a social worker. The course of treatment will be based on the personal needs of the cerebral palsy patient.
Drug therapy is administered by your doctor and this will use a combination of different medications that will be determined based on various test that the doctor performs. This type of cerebral palsy treatment is used to control seizures and may even stop them all together.
Another type of cerebral palsy treatment is behavioral therapy. This type of treatment will help to improve physical, mental and communicative skills, it will involve different types of activities that are determined based on the disability of the cerebral palsy patient.
Physical therapy is the most common form of treatment and it helps to prevent further deterioration of the muscle tissue. This type of deterioration occurs from not using your muscles often. Physical therapy will help to prevent the need of having surgery to correct the muscles.
One of the newest types of cerebral palsy treatment is botox injections. It actually helps to relieve symptoms of the disease because it will relax the muscles and prevent them from locking up, and will also relieve muscle spasms that many cerebral palsy patients deal with.
Its important that you select the correct cerebral palsy treatment for the type of cerebral palsy that you are suffering from. The internet can also help you find new types of treatments that other patients are currently receiving and you can then talk to your doctor about the treatment to see what he or she has to say about it. I dont suggest that you take any type of treatment without consulting your doctor first you can create more problems then its worth.
Feb
25
2009
The term “cerebral palsy” is not a specific diagnosis, but is now generally applied to children who experience some forms of brain trauma either at the time of birth or shortly before. Typically, these children manifest some degree of cognitive impairment as well as physical impairment, often with weakness and spasticity of arms and legs. Typically treatment for children with cerebral palsy has been directed at the physical manifestations of the underlying problem. Most efforts are directed at increasing the ranges of motion, reducing spasticity, and increasing strength, along with specific therapies designed to enhance communication skills and academic performance.
Evidence from other countries is now providing strong support for the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to improve the underlying problem in children with cerebral palsy. Hyperbaric oxygen actually targets the abnormalities of brain function. This offers an exciting new approach for treatment.
Studies show that the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in children with cerebral palsy is linked to its enhancing the function of previously damaged neurons (brain/nerve cells). These neurons have been called “idling neurons” in that while they are still alive, they have been damaged to the extent that their function is compromised. Hyperbaric oxygen facilitates the restoration of these damaged neurons which improves brain function and the nervous system. The use of Hyperbaric oxygen to help children with cerebral palsy is becoming more widespread in the United States.
“I would like to thank you for all of your support in searching for help for our son Tim. Two years ago, Tim walked with a forearm crutch due to his cerebral palsy. Without his crutch he could walk very short distances typically in our house only. He could only stand without support for maybe 10-15 seconds if he was really lucky. The muscles in his legs were just way too tight and his balance was off. After years of therapy, botox treatments, oral baclofen and even muscle lengthening surgery, I was starting to lose hope that he would ever walk independently.
You can imagine how disappointed we were after trying so many options that although he had made progress we just could not get rid of the reliance on an assistive device. Then, my mother-in-law recommended that we try hyperbaric oxygen therapy, HBOT. I was very skeptical. I thought if it really worked everyone would know about it and everyone would be using it. Despite my better judgment, we went ahead and tried it. I felt like it would be like opening our car window and throwing $4,000 away. After 40 treatments in 20 days, he could walk much farther without his crutch. Although he still fell often, his balance was definitely improved. He went from standing for only 10-15 seconds to 1-2 minutes. Another side benefit was he used to having a few times a day involuntary shudders, these had gone completely away. We really could not believe it!” Thank you for everything!”
Feb
24
2009
Most parents become devastated when they hear from their physician or pediatrician that their baby has been diagnosed as having cerebral palsy. What is even more shattering is when they find out that the cause of the medical condition of their baby has been due to medical negligence by doctors during the birth of their child.
Thousands of children are born every year through out the world and nearly 10,000 children are being diagnosed as having cerebral palsy every year. In addition, nearly all of the CP cases have been due to the doctor’s negligence. This is why parent’s of children who have been affected by cerebral palsy due to medical negligence should seek the services of an attorney. An attorney who is specializing in cases related to cerebral palsy would be the most suited to handle the case as he or she would have had years of experience in dealing with such cases.
Whenever a child is affected by cerebral palsy, it means that the child’s brain has been damaged and if it has been caused due to medical malpractice then the help of an attorney is needed to file lawsuits against those who caused it.
As a first step, the attorney will verify whether the doctor or surgeon who was dealing with the delivery failed to perform their duty with enough care. What the attorney needs to determine is if it was the doctor’s fault. If so then the attorney would need strong evidence to prove the case. Once evidence that medical negligence is the cause of the disorder has been established, pointing to the medical fraternity as having been at fault then he or she files a suit implicating the doctors in the case.
It is the duty of the cerebral palsy attorney to prove that the doctors did indeed make mistakes leading to cerebral palsy in the child. Once proven, then the attorneys will ensure that they get suitable compensation, which will be awarded, to the parents of the child.
The compensation amount that is awarded will vary from case to case and also when the lawyer or attorney is more experienced in dealing with cases like these he or she will be able to get a better compensation for the parent. However, compensation in no way can alter the sate of the child with cerebral palsy. It will only help in paying towards care and treatment of the child. The implicated doctors also would ensure that they are more careful with other deliveries in future.
There are many cerebral palsy attorney firms, which offer their services when it comes to filing suits and most of them are based upon a contingency fee. This means that the attorney will be paid a fee only if he or she brings about a settlement. If no compensation is paid then the attorney will forgo their fee. Parents would be required to fill out forms, which will be reviewed by the attorney before they take up the case. If they find that there is suitable evidence that can be used to make a case of medical negligence then they take up discussions with the parents of the child before filing a law suit.