What is the treatment for cerebral palsy?
The condition must be detected in the early childhood life by the child specialist and treatment should begin at that time. Detailed neurological examination and psychometric analysis is done. The team should involve orthopedic surgeon, neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, physiotherapist and occupational therapist. The child needs the guidance of psychologist, speech therapist and medical social worker. The involvement and co-operation of parents is more important. Physiotherapy is the mainstay of treatment in all cases of cerebral palsy. This helps in preventing deformity of the joints and to relax stiff muscles. The aim of the treatment is to achieve maximum functional ability and the skill that the child can acquire. Each child requires a programme that is appropriate to its intelligence and severity of disability. • In mild cases with good I.Q. the deformities of the limbs can be corrected with physiotherapy and the child can be made fit for normal school education. • In moderate cases, in
