How does cerebral palsy affect your body

All four limbs are affected when children have quadriplegic cerebral palsy, also known as spastic quadriplegia. Children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy may have mouth issues and difficulties with swallowing.

In severe cases, children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy are unable to walk or talk and may develop limb deformities. Diplegia, also known as spastic diplegia, is a subset of spastic cerebral palsy marked by issues in the limbs, specifically in the legs. Spasticity in the legs leads to stiff, jerky movements and hypertonia. According to the U.

Department of Health and Human Services, along with muscle weakness and stiffness in the limbs, children with spastic diplegia tend to walk on their toes. They can also have problems with their eyes crossing, balance issues, and delayed milestones.

Due to stiff and tight muscles, some children with spastic diplegia walk with a scissor gate. In a scissor gate, the legs turn inward and the knees close together or crossed. In extreme cases, children may not be able to walk. Although the legs are more likely to have issues, some children with spastic diplegia will also have issues with their upper body parts, depending on the severity of the disorder. Arms can become spastic and stiff.

With mild spastic diplegia, children can typically have good muscle tone and a good range of motion. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC , spastic hemiplegia generally causes muscle stiffness and spasticity in one arm and hand, but it can sometimes affect the leg on the same side. Muscle stiffness on the affected side can cause children to have a clenched fist and walk on their toes.

Children with spastic hemiplegia sometimes develop scoliosis a curvature of the spine. Further, the affected arm and leg may be shorter than the unaffected limbs. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy includes the subtypes athetoid, choreoathetoid, and dystonic. This form of cerebral palsy affects the arms, feet, hands, and legs. Children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy may exhibit writhing, slow movements, along with jerky movements in the affected limbs. The damage can be partial, for example, affecting only the part of the brain that controls walking.

Or it can affect a larger area, like the parts that control walking, talking, and understanding speech. There's no cure for cerebral palsy. But resources and therapies can help kids grow and develop to their greatest potential. As soon as CP is diagnosed, a child can begin therapy for movement and other areas that need help, such as learning, speech , hearing, and social and emotional development.

Many will need assistive devices like braces or wheelchairs. Medicine helps kids who have a lot of muscle pain and stiffness. They can take medicine by mouth, G-tube , or get it through a pump the baclofen pump placed under the skin. Surgery can help fix dislocated hips and scoliosis curved spine , which are common in kids with CP. Leg braces help with walking.

Kids can improve their bone health by having a diet that's high in calcium , vitamin D , and phosphorus. These nutrients help keep bones strong. Doctors, dietitians, and speech-language therapists can work with families to make sure kids get enough of the right nutrients and suggest changes to their diets or mealtime routines, if needed.

Kids with CP often need to see many different medical specialists for care. That team may include doctors and surgeons, other providers like physical assistants, nurses, therapists, psychologists, educators, and social workers.

Even if many medical specialists are needed, it's still important to have a primary care provider or a medical home. This provider will take care of your child's routine health care and also help you coordinate care with other doctors. Taking care of a child with cerebral palsy can feel overwhelming at times. Cerebral palsy describes a range of disabilities associated with movement and posture. Although cerebral palsy is a permanent condition, a child with this condition can achieve greater control over movement, as they learn and practise motor skills.

Cerebral palsy affects about 7, Victorians and more than 20, people Australia-wide. How cerebral palsy affects the body Cerebral palsy affects people in different ways — some people experience minor motor skill problems, while others may be totally physically dependent.

Cerebral palsy distorts messages from the brain to cause increased muscle tension called hypertonus or reduced muscle tension called hypotonus. Sometimes this tension fluctuates, becoming more or less obvious. Messages from the brain may also be mistimed, sent to the wrong muscle, or not sent at all. This affects the timing, quality and synchronisation of messages, generally resulting in erratic movement of the muscles. Only the message path between the brain and muscles is affected, not the muscles themselves.

Cerebral palsy can be categorised into four main areas, according to the parts of the body it affects: Quadriplegia — all four limbs are affected and the muscles of the face and mouth may also be affected. Diplegia — all four limbs are affected, but legs more so than arms. Hemiplegia — one side of the body is affected. Paraplegia — both legs, but neither of the arms, are affected. Types of cerebral palsy There are four main types of cerebral palsy: Spastic cerebral palsy — this is the most common type of cerebral palsy.

Spasticity means stiffness or tightness of muscles, which is most obvious when the person tries to move. Athetoid cerebral palsy — athetosis means uncontrolled movements, which often lead to erratic movements. Ataxic cerebral palsy — this is the least common type of cerebral palsy. Ataxia means a lack of balance and coordination. It often presents as unsteady, shaky movements called tremors. Mixed type cerebral palsy — may involve a combination of types of cerebral palsy. Other disabilities sometimes occur with cerebral palsy — hearing, sight or speech disorders, epilepsy or an intellectual disability.

However, just because a person has cerebral palsy, it does not mean they will have other disabilities. Causes of cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy is not a disease, it is a condition. Cerebral palsy is not contagious.