Can Chiropractic Adjustments Help Children With Cerebral Palsy?

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When a baby or young child gets diagnosed with cerebral palsy, parents often wonder what kinds of treatments are available. Doctors normally recommend physiotherapy but one place, the chiropractic clinic, is often overlooked. How exactly can chiropractors help children with cerebral palsy?

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is an incurable condition that is the result of a lack of oxygen to the brain either before, during or after birth. This lack of oxygen results in damaged or dead brain cells. The severity of the condition depends on the extent of the brain damage. Cerebral palsy is characterized by the damaged brain cells affecting muscle control. Other symptoms associated with the condition may or may not include:

While the brain damage does not worsen as the child gets older, the physical impairments can seem more prevalent as the child ages. For instance, when cerebral palsy affects a child's gross motor skills and they are unable to meet major milestones such as sitting, standing, or walking, it can be detrimental. Treatment options such as physiotherapy can increase gross motor skills but in some instances, the child will most likely to continue having physical limitations. This is especially true when there has been substantial damage to the brain.

How Can Chiropractic Adjustments Help?

Chiropractic medicine is used to treat and prevent disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine. Chiropractors do this by helping their patients acquire a healthy nervous system, usually through spinal manipulations. Like other doctors and specialists, chiropractors cannot offer a cure for cerebral palsy. They can however, help to alleviate some of the symptoms associated with the condition.

The brain communicates to the rest of the body through the nervous system. Spinal adjustments help to remove interference from the brain to the nervous system which improves communication between the brain and the muscles. In children with cerebral palsy this means some of their symptoms, especially those associated with the muscles, can be alleviated. The amount of pain can be reduced, along with a reduction in muscle stiffness. Children can also experience increased strength, flexibility and range of motion. Other areas of improvement for children with cerebral palsy receiving chiropractic care include:

If your child has cerebral palsy and you are looking for alternative treatments, go to your chiropractic clinic to see how they can help. To learn more about chiropractors, visit Fish Creek Chiropractic. 


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