Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that affects the motor control center in the brain. You can have a very mild condition or a very severe condition depending upon the amount of damage or poor development. Symptoms can range from walking on your toes to requiring a wheelchair for transportation and assistance with eating. The symptoms will present challenges that are specific to people who experience cerebral palsy.
Physical Deformities and Daily Living Skills
According to Dr. Owen Hensey, one of the goals in treatment of cerebral palsy is to prevent physical deformities that can result from increased muscle tone and the development of contractures. Contractures can severely limit your ability to perform daily living skills such as dressing and undressing, feeding and communication. You may require additional medication to help relax muscles or the assistance of a piece of equipment to complete a task.
School
Children who experience cerebral palsy may require additional assistance in school to perform tasks such as writing, eating lunch or getting from classroom to classroom. Your child may have difficulty taking notes, completing writing assignments or performing additional school-related activities. According to United Cerebral Palsy, services for children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy are mandated from birth to age 21. These services require the involvement of family in the planning, development and implementation of an Individualized Education Plan to accommodate the child's need for education and learning.
Work
Adults with cerebral palsy will face special challenges in the workplace. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Americans with Disability Act, employers and public buildings must make accommodations for individuals who have physical challenges that make negotiating the environment unattainable. However, your work environment can be more of a challenge than just the physical space. According to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, adults also face challenges with adjusted work schedules to accommodate their physical needs, frequent rest periods or the necessity of early retirement.
Osteoporosis
Healthy bone building begins in childhood. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, childhood is critical for developing appropriate bone mass and strength that will determine skeletal health for the remainder of your life. One of the risk factors of osteoporosis is cerebral palsy, which places a limitation on the amount of physical activity and weight-bearing activity that can be performed in childhood. Bone mass is built in response to these activities.
Arthritis and Premature Aging
As you grow older with cerebral palsy, you also experience some form of premature aging. This affects your ability to work and perform daily living activities. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the extra stress placed on the body from high muscle tone and poor muscle control can lead to premature aging of the cardiovascular system and degenerative arthritis. The challenges of limited strength and restricted movement can result in overuse syndromes, nerve entrapment, degeneration between the joint surfaces and chronic pain.
Depression
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, people with disabilities are three to four times more likely to be diagnosed with depression than people who are not disabled. The depression doesn't appear to be related to the amount of disability but rather to the support systems in place, how successful you are at coping with disappointment and stress as well as your outlook for the future.
Post-Impairment Syndrome
Post-impairment syndrome is a challenge that faces most adults who have cerebral palsy. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, this syndrome is a combination of pain, fatigue and weakness that is related to the muscle and bone abnormalities found in people who suffer from cerebral palsy. Related conditions include overuse injuries, repetitive motion problems and arthritis. You burn three to five times more energy each day than a person without a disability. This increased energy expenditure contributes to the fatigue and weakness you experience as part of post-impairment syndrome.
References
- State Claims: Cerebral Palsy: Challenges and Opportunities; Dr. Owen Hensey
- United Cerebral Palsy: Education
- U. S. Department of Justice: Civil Rights Division: Disability Rights Section
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Cerebral Palsy: Hope Through Research
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Early Prevention of Osteoporosis
