Botox therapy for kids with cerebral palsy

Botox is known for it's use in reducing wrinkles and other cosmetic uses, but another use is becoming more and more popular with parents of children who have cerebral palsy. Botox injections are being used to treat cerebral palsy in children. Although there is no standard treatment that works for all cerebral palsy patients, the use of botox has shown significant improvement in many cerebral palsy patients' condition.

Botox controls spasticity, unintentional brain impulses that cause muscles to tighten. Botox relaxes the muscles to alleviate some of the symptoms of cerebral palsy and increase the chances of better physical development. Cerebral Palsy is a non progressive disorder and is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the young developing brain and can occur during pregnancy, childbirth or after birth, many cases due to birthing mistakes by doctors or improper use of anesthetics.

Botox injections do not provide a permanent cure for spastic cerebral palsy patients, but it could be the start of a more indepth treatment. Botox can help cerebral palsy patients avoid painful surgery, and if the patient shows improvement through botox therapy, surgery is avoided.

Botox therapy for cerebral palsy patients is primarily used during early physical developmental stages, typically between ages 2 and 9. This helps cerebral palsy children use their muscles more effectively and hopefully teaches their brains how to control their muscles without overtightening them making them less useful.