Rosenlieb 1

Briana Rosenlieb

English 1201

Dean Leonard

20 March 2022

What is The Most Effective Treatment Option Offered to Patients with Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral Palsy is a worldwide disability that affects the motor and mental neurological

systems, which can affect the legs, arms, spine, etc. Thousands of children are born with

Cerebral Palsy (CP) each year, but many find themselves unsure of what to do. There is not a ton

of extensive research dedicated to CP, so many find themselves wondering, what treatment

options are the most effective?

One of the first cases ever discovered for Cerebral Palsy was around the 16th to 11th

century BCE. This discovery was found in a boy, the Pharoah Siptah. This boy was found with a

clubbed foot, this was just a turned foot, which is one of the many symptoms related to Cerebral

Palsy. There was a lot of confusion and uncertainty surrounding this disease until around the

1800s. One of the first few surgeons to engulf himself in the study of Cerebral Palsy was also

born with a clubbed foot. This surgeon eventually met with someone that specialized in

Tenotomy, which rectified the clubbed foot. Not a ton of research and information was known

about CP, so the focus was put on the deformities that surrounded the disease. Tenotomy was

dedicated as a “cure” that would correct clubbed feet and other orthopedic disorders. As time

evolved it was discovered that CP did not just surround deformities but went a lot more in-depth

than that. There are bone, joint, and muscle deformities that were all related to the neurological

system. After learning more about the disability it was proven that Tenotomy treatment
 Rosenlieb 2

seemingly made things worse rather than better. In the early 1900s, a new treatment technique

formed, Dorsal Rhizotomy, which led to a huge focus on the muscular aspect of the disability

rather than a neurological one. This led to new extensive physical therapy techniques and

methods. Around 1950 professionals introduced how much of an impact therapy for speaking,

breathing, and swallowing issues in patients with CP had. Now in the 21st century, it is now

known that CP is more of a disability rather than a disease, there are a ton of technology and

instruments that are used to improve mental and motor skills, but for now, there is no cures, just

treatments that can help prolong and improve the quality of life (Stang).

Botox injections are one of the most common medications used to treat Cerebral Palsy.

The injections can help with spasticity and can stretch the muscles. It has also proved to increase

the range of motion. Botox injections are not a long-term treatment unless they are constantly

repeated for a lifetime. This treatment is seen as temporary rather than permanent (Von Rossom).

One of the most common forms of treatment for Cerebral Palsy is physical therapy. There

are many different forms of therapy treatment, which can all be done at home and are less

expensive. Studies show that if therapy is done at least twice a week for a certain duration of

time, there will be a substantial improvement in gross and motor functions (Afzal).

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy is a common procedure performed on patients with Cerebral

Palsy. The surgery is quite invasive and involves severing the nerves of the spine. There is a ton

of aftercare post-procedure, but it permanently decreases the spasticity in patients and has even

proven to decreases specificity in the lower and upper motor functions (Kudva).

Although Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy may permanently decrease symptoms in Cerebral

Palsy patients, there is a ton of extensive work that goes into it. There is a limited number of
 Rosenlieb 3

centers that will perform this procedure and there are a lot of requirements that must be met

before, during, and after the procedure. All medical reports must be turned in before the surgery.

If certain aspects are not met while dealing with anesthesia, then successful results may not be

produced. There must be a huge commitment due to the six-week bed rest (Al-Shaar).

The most reasonable and the best option is physical therapy. Although therapy may be

the most time-consuming option, it is the least dangerous and intrusive. Therapy avoids the

danger and complications that could be produced from either surgery or medication and could

produce long-term improvements.

 Rosenlieb 2

Works Cited
Afzal, Farjad, and Sidra Manzoor. “Effects of Physical Therapy Treatment in Children with
Athetoid Cerebral Palsy.” Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal, vol. 69, no. 3, June
2019, pp. 460–64. EBSCOhost,
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tsh&AN=137512587&site=eds-
live. Accessed 18 Mar. 2022.
Al-Shaar, Hussam Abou, et al. “Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy: A Multidisciplinary Approach to
Treating Spastic Diplegia.” Asian Journal of Neurosurgery, vol. 12, no. 3, July 2017, pp.
454–65. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.4103/1793-5482.175625. Accessed 20 Mar. 2022.
Kudva, Amogh, et al. “Intrathecal Baclofen, Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, and Extracorporeal
Shockwave Therapy for the Treatment of Spasticity in Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic
Review.” Neurosurgical Review, vol. 44, no. 6, Dec. 2021, pp. 3209–28. EBSCOhost,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-021-01550-0. Accessed 19 Mar. 2022.
Stang, Kristina M., et al. “It All Started with a Clubfoot: Beliefs Surrounding Cerebral Palsy
throughout History.” Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, Apr.
2019, pp. 115–21. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.3233/PRM-190005. Accessed 18 Mar.
2022.
Van Rossom, S., et al. “Single-Event Multilevel Surgery, but Not Botulinum Toxin Injections
Normalize Joint Loading in Cerebral Palsy Patients.” Clinical Biomechanics, vol. 76,
June 2020. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2020.105025. Accessed 20
Mar. 2022.