Cerebral Palsy is a movement disorder in which movement and posture, speech, and sometimes eating and sleeping are affected. Gaining better control of movements using physical therapy improves posture, daily life tasks, and the overall health condition of those afflicted with CP. In this article, we’ll look at how physical therapy brings hope to CP patients and those who care for them.
Improves and Prevents
Although there is no cure for cerebral palsy, through the use of massage, exercises, and special equipment, physical therapy helps to improve flexibility, strength, muscle control, and overall confidence. Not only does it improve these muscle capabilities, but it also helps prevent the condition’s symptoms from getting worse. Prevention and improvement are the goals when living with CP. Here are several areas physical therapy helps a person living with CP:
- Coordination
- Flexibility
- Posture
- Pain management
- Gait
- Balance
- Strength
- Overall health
- Endurance
- Speech
- Self-calming
- Eating
The results are different for everyone, just as cerebral palsy affects each person differently. Still, one thing is for sure: physical therapy is always helpful in some way.
Types Of Physical Therapies
There are many forms of physical therapy used to help improve the lives of people with CP. Let’s look at what some of those are:
- Hippotherapy: Hippotherapy involves the use of a horse or a device, such as the MiraColt, to mimic the use of a horse. When feeling a horse’s gait, neural pathways and the muscular system are stimulated. Not only does this positively affect posture, movement control, and strength, but it also brings calmness, confidence, and even helps improve speech and sleep. Hippotherapy shows great success for those with CP.
- Massage: Massage helps many people, including those with CP. It works by easing tension and loosening and releasing tight muscles, which helps joints move more freely. Massage brings a calming effect and gets the blood flowing as well.
- Leg braces: Leg braces are often used to assist with physical therapy by helping to improve balance and walking.
- Play: For young children, special play activities developed by a physical therapist help improve a child’s strength, flexibility, speech, and overall movement, without them even realizing it’s therapy.
Cerebral palsy comes in many forms, so each case is different. It’s important to understand how physical therapy brings hope to CP patients. A physiotherapist evaluates each of their patients living with CP and creates the right program for them.
At Chariot Innovations, we are dedicated to helping those with movement disorders. Our uniquely designed MiraColt offers cerebral palsy gait training to improve the lives of those with cerebral palsy. Contact Chariot Innovations and to explore how the MiraColt can help your loved one with a movement disorder.
