Integrative Treatment for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Introduction Cerebral palsy is the manifestation of an injury to the areas of the brain that control voluntary movement. Cerebral palsy is the most prevalent motor disorder in children [9]. Specifically, it occurs in 1.5 to 4 out of 100 births [1]. One of the most difficult aspects of treatment is that, depending on the areas that are damaged, the disorder can manifest in very diverse ways [2]. The purpose of this paper is to establish guidelines to create the optimal treatment for a child with cerebral palsy in terms of motor improvement and practicality. Cerebral palsy can be caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain while the child is in utero, at birth, or during the first year of the child's life [1]. Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain, rather than to the muscles or nerve fibers [3]. The causal damage is thought to exist in the basal ganglia, brainstem, cerebellum, and/or cortispinal tracts [2]. These areas are responsible for more basic functions as opposed to the forebrain, which is the center of human reasoning. This does not mean that other parts of the brain will not be affected by the damaging event that causes cerebral palsy (CP). There has been no clear correlation between the area of damage and the way in which it manifests [2].