Cerebral Palsy - Exercises That Can

Help Your Child!

Cerebral palsy refers to a medical condition where a child suffers from
certain disabilities as a result of damage caused to his or her brain during
or before birth. If a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy then he or she
may experience problem with body movement and brain development
may also get affected. Along with difficulties in body movements, there
are many other problems that he or she may encounter, such as
difficulties in hearing or vision, intellectual disabilities, learning disorder,
impaired speech and seizure problems, etc.
There are many causes responsible for cerebral palsy; they are stated as
follows
1. If the brain of the child is deprived of oxygen during birth
2. Premature birth
3. Severe head injury
4. A brain infection
Regular exercises and physiotherapy can help the child to cope up with the
condition better. Following are few exercises which may prove to be helpful:
1. Joint exercises: Joint exercises will help a C.P. child to increase flexibility.
2. Muscle exercises: Muscle exercises can help to get rid of muscle tightness
which is a common disorder seen in a C.P. child.
3. Stretching exercises: Stretching exercises can prove to be very helpful in
dealing with the problem of body movement which is one of the most potent
symptoms observed in a C.P child.
4. Balancing exercises: Balancing exercises can help the C.P. child to improve his
or her balance.
5. Spine stabilization exercises: Exercising the upper and lower part of the spine
can help the C.P. child to strengthen his or her spine which will in turn, help him
or her to improve balance.
6. Wrist and knee exercises: Wrist and knee exercises work on the affected wrists
and knees, thus improving flexibility and bettering body motions.
7. Swimming exercise: Swimming, as an exercise, involves the movement of many
muscles and joints. It can thus help to improve body movement disorder.
Exercises with proper assistance can prove to be very beneficial for a
child suffering from cerebral palsy.