Playing virtual reality games as part of a physical and occupational therapy program can increase motor performance among children with cerebral palsy (CP), a new study suggests. The study, titled “Effect of virtual reality therapy on functional development in children with cerebral palsy: A single-blind, prospective,…
Over the past couple of weeks, I have walked to the edge of my cliff of insecurities and leapt into the murky waters below. I broke a rule of mine on social media: I made a video of myself. I’ve avoided filming any videos of myself since the beginning of…
Implanting an infusion pump that continuously delivers the muscle relaxant baclofen to the spinal canal is a safe and effective treatment for muscle stiffness in people with neurological conditions, including cerebral palsy (CP), and provides a great degree of satisfaction to patients, according to 19 years of…
Use of magnesium sulphate during pregnancy to treat certain conditions in mothers or lower the risk of a baby being born with cerebral palsy is not associated with a higher probability of harm in newborns, a study suggests. The study, “Antenatal magnesium sulphate and adverse neonatal…
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a five-year, $2.7 million research grant to support a trial that aims to see if “short-burst” treadmill training might help children with cerebral…
Social media has a way of concealing aspects of us that are otherwise apparent in daily life. Unless pertinent to disability awareness or advocacy, I don’t often talk about having a physical disability. I choose not to do so because my disability is not important to my self-image. In previous…
Health-related quality of life in young adults with cerebral palsy (CP) is comparable to people in the general population, a study has found. However, problems with pain, fatigue, and sleep were found across all physical functioning CP categories. Significantly, however, higher…
After an intensive treatment period, changes in motor capacity in children with cerebral palsy, as observed in a standardized environment, do not correlate well with actual motor performance in daily life, a new study suggests. The study, titled “Relationship between changes in motor capacity and objectively measured…
“Are you retarded?” The words hung in the air as I paused, consulting my 8-year-old reflection in the mirror of the school bathroom. I exhaled, my adrenaline surging, my hands shaking as I reminded myself that she wasn’t worth it. She wasn’t worth my well-memorized, sensitive speech about cerebral palsy.
Muscle composition and structure is altered in children with cerebral palsy — with greater amounts of collagen in the muscles’ network of proteins and sugars — making these patients more prone to stiffness and contractures that prevent normal movement, a study finds. The study, “Contribution of extracellular…