Cerebral palsy therapy is the best way to mitigate symptoms of this difficult condition. Therapy should begin as soon as a child is diagnosed because statistics show early intervention results in a better quality of life in the future. Since there is no cure for cerebral palsy, treatment by therapy is a victim's best chance at living as near a normal life as possible.

There are three main areas of therapy found to beneficial for people with cerebral palsy: physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech/language therapy. The goal of all three is to improve a person with cerebral palsy's capabilities. Each case of cerebral palsy is different, so each therapy regimen must be tailored to the individual. Health care teams should work together to determine what combination of therapies will enable a person to best mitigate their symptoms and live life to their full potential.

As you might expect with customized therapy, these treatments are not inexpensive. A cerebral palsy attorney should be a part of your treatment team, making sure that you have the financial resources to provide your child with the care he or she deserves.

Physical Therapy and Cerebral Palsy

Physical therapy aims to treat and improve movement disorders and body function. The major problems associated with cerebral palsy usually involve the muscles, bones and nervous system. Physical therapists thoroughly assess each person's abilities, disabilities and potential for improvement. Once they have created a physical therapy plan, they use different therapy combinations to reduce disabilities, capitalize on abilities and achieve functional improvement. Exercise, heat, electrical impulses and muscle manipulation are examples of typical therapies. Physical therapists will also teach caregivers of people with cerebral palsy how to assist in physical therapy at home.

For the majority of cerebral palsy victims a physical therapist's main goal will be to reduce muscle spasticity. Muscle spasticity means muscles remain stiff and sometimes contracted. Muscle stiffness inhibits movement required for mobility. Mobility is a person with cerebral palsy's best chance for greater independence. To combat spasticity, physical therapists exercise and stretch muscles regularly. They prescribe structured physical activity and sometimes use sprints or braces to assist in reducing contracture.

The best physical therapists can have an immediate and long-lasting effect on your child's ability to cope with cerebral palsy. However, it's an expensive proposition to hire a top-notch physical therapist who specializes in cerebral palsy. Attorneys can help, however. A qualified cerebral palsy attorney specializes in protecting your legal rights and obtaining the resources you need to help your child receive needed physical therapy.

Occupational Therapy and Cerebral Palsy

Occupational therapists combine experience from several different areas of expertise to help a person with cerebral palsy function as effectively as possible in daily life. While eating, brushing our teeth and getting dressed are simple for non-disabled people, these tasks can be considerably more difficult for a person with cerebral palsy.

An occupational therapist evaluates the physical challenges a person with cerebral palsy has that inhibit functional living. By assessing the skills a disabled person needs to function in school, work, at home or in social situations, an occupational therapist can develop a therapy plan. Each therapy plan is tailored to the cerebral palsy victim's specific needs and skill level. The therapist helps the cerebral palsy person learn ways to get around the challenges of everyday actions. For example, if a person has difficulty in holding tooth brush to brush their teeth, special grips can be added to the handles to make it easier to hold. Getting in an out of a car requires a special order of movements for people with cerebral palsy. An occupational therapist helps the victim learn the required movements, and practice until they accomplish the task to the best of their ability.

Like physical therapists, good occupational therapists can be expensive, and sometimes their assistance is not fully compensated under your medical coverage. An experienced cerebral palsy attorney can make a huge difference, helping to obtain crucial support for your child's occupational therapy.

Speech Therapy and Language Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy often affects the muscles of the mouth and tongue making it difficult or impossible to speak. Communication is just as important as mobility in helping a person with cerebral palsy live an independent lifestyle. Socialization depends on a person's ability to interact with their peers. Since language is the primary form of communication, deficiencies can lead to isolation and depression.

Speech therapists encourage a person having difficulties with language to communicate however possible. Speech and language therapists facilitate communication through speech therapy or by helping people learn to use assistive communication devices. The goal of speech and language therapy is to help a person with cerebral palsy express their ideas and understand those expressed by others. This can be accomplished by learning to use mouth muscles to form words or by learning to use an assistive device, like a computer, to communicate for them.

Again, you should contact an experience cerebral palsy attorney to help in the struggle to provide financial resources for therapy. Your cerebral palsy attorney knows and understands both legal and medical terminology and procedure in these cases, and he or she can defend your legal rights and make sure you get the financial compensation you deserve.

Therapy will be a regular part of life for a person with cerebral palsy. It won't cure cerebral palsy but certainly helps reduce its challenges. Independence and quality of life improvements are goals for therapist working with cerebral palsy victims. Some people will make great strides in becoming independent while others will only improve in small ways. Any improvement in the disabling symptoms of cerebral palsy should be considered a victory and one small step towards a living a fuller life.