Dealing With Pain Management
Cerebral palsy is most well-known for its effects on the nervous system and the control of the muscles. Spasmodic muscles, however, can also cause a significant deal of pain. Some people who suffer with cerebral palsy are completely incapacitated because of the lack of control they have over their muscles. Others, however, have quite a bit of mobility and coordination but still end up suffering painful outbreaks of spasmodic muscles from time to time.
Therapies
Cerebral Palsy Pain Management
Therapies for muscles that are spasmodic include injections, heat and cold therapy and many other types of treatment. When muscles are permanently locked up, electronic devices are sometimes employed to coax them free and to allow the individual to function better. For example, devices that stimulate the muscles in the legs are sometimes used to help individuals who have feet that are improperly aligned in a way that makes it impossible for them to walk. By forcing the muscles into alignment, people are able to walk properly and this can afford cerebral palsy sufferers a great deal more mobility.
New treatments and therapies are being discovered all the time and many of them are proving to be quite effective. Researchers in Australia also found out that, contrary to prevailing medical opinion, muscle tissue can buckle. For most people, this is interesting but not particularly useful information. For people who work with cerebral palsy sufferers, however, any increase in the understanding of how muscle tissue works is potentially very beneficial.
Consequences
When people suffer episodes where their muscles spasm painfully and make it difficult, or impossible, for them to get around, there are significant consequences. For adults who suffer with cerebral palsy, it oftentimes means losing time at work and losing money in lost wages. For parents, it means that their child will need increased care for a while, which means the parents sometimes miss work and the money that goes along with it.
Spasms in the muscles are only some of the symptoms of cerebral palsy. One of the reasons that people who have a child who suffers from birth injuries sometimes contact a cerebral palsy lawyer is because they know that they are going to be facing increased expenses to help care for the child — and that their child, someday, will need to be able to pay for ongoing treatment later in life. Speak with an attorney if you believe that medical malpractice played a part in your child’s birth injuries.