What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles. CP is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person’s ability to control his or her muscles.
The symptoms of CP vary from person to person. A person with severe CP might need to use special equipment to be able to walk, or might not be able to walk at all and might need lifelong care. A person with mild CP, on the other hand, might walk a little awkwardly, but might not need any special help. CP does not get worse over time, though the exact symptoms can change over a person’s lifetime.
Children with Cerebral palsy have problems not only with motor function, but also with structural deterioration leading to deformities such as scoliosis, hip subluxation and contractures. They also don’t grow and thrive as well as healthy children. They are often sick with chest infections, feeding difficulties, reflux or constipation, sleep issues and low energy.
When BDA is applied the following improvements are noticed over time:
- Improvement of chest deformities.
- Improvement of deformities of the spinal column (scoliosis and kyphosis).
- Improvement and prevention of contractures
- Improvemnts of swallowing, chewing and excessive salivation.
- Improvement of speech-production and -apparatus control.
- Facial expression control.
- Breathing mechanics and rhythm; with reduction in frequent infections, pneumonia and bronchitis.
- Improvement of constipation.
- Improvement of reflux disease and reflux of gastric contents.
- Improved sleep and less frequent waking up during the night.
- Improvement in muscle tone depending on the type of spasticity and rigidity and atony.
- Reduction of subluxation and luxation of the hip joint.
BDA also improves motor function such as:
- Establishment and improvement of head and neck control in different positions.
- The control of torso and enhancement of torso stability, which gradually leads to the establishment and improvement of seating function.
- Improving the counterbalance function in different positions.
- Establishing control and stability of the pelvis, which is necessary for further progress towards establishing a four-limbed or high-kneeling position.
- Establishing and improving gross and fine motor skills
- The problem of hyperkinesia and chaotic movements and shortening of muscles due to the increased muscle stretch reflexes.