Cerebral palsy (CP) is a broad term that includes a group of physical and sometimes mental disabilities that interfere with your child's physical function. It is a lifelong condition that affects communication between the brain and muscles. It causes trouble with a variety of activities including speaking, eating, sitting, walking and using the hands. People with CP may have seizures, learning disabilities and vision and hearing challenges.

CP is usually diagnosed in early childhood. While there is no cure, a wide range of treatments and therapies are available to help your child achieve greater independence.

Our spine specialists at Children’s Wisconsin treat all types of cerebral palsy, including:

Spastic: This is the most common type of CP. Spastic refers to tightness or resistance to stretch. Children with spastic CP have weakness and trouble coordinating their movements. Spasticity can affect one or more areas of your child's body, making muscles tight and difficult to use.

Dystonic: Dystonic CP causes twisting postures that can interfere with the use of arms and legs as well as eating and speaking.

Ataxic: Children with ataxic CP have problems with coordination and balance. This can cause difficulties with walking and arm use.

Mixed cerebral palsy: When symptoms of spasticity, ataxia and/or dystonia appear together, it is called mixed cerebral palsy. Different symptoms may appear with different degrees of severity.

Additionally, CP can be described by the body areas it affects most:

Diplegia means that legs are affected more than the arms. This is most common in people who were born prematurely.

Hemiplegia means one side of the body is more affected.

Quadriplegia means all four limbs are affected.

Cerebral palsy is the result of an injury to an immature brain often due to a stroke, infection or accident. Other causes can include brain malformation or low oxygen. Premature babies have a higher risk of developing CP

Cerebral palsy is a clinical diagnosis, meaning there is no one test that can diagnose it. Your child's doctor will take a detailed history, examine them carefully, and may ask for an MRI of the brain or other tests.

CP is a lifelong condition. There is no medicine or surgery that can repair the damage to the brain. But there are things the team at Children's Wisconsin can do to help your child. No two children with CP are alike, so your child's treatment program will be tailored specifically to their needs. Your child’s treatment may include:

• Medications that can reduce the abnormal movements. These can be given orally or by injection. Sometimes children benefit from an intrathecal baclofen pump — a battery-powered device surgically implanted to deliver medication into the spine.
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy can be used to increase strength, balance, coordination and mobility.
• Equipment such as bracing, walkers, wheelchairs or weighted garments can help maximize function.
• Surgery can be performed to maintain proper alignment of bones and to reduce tone. Selective dorsal rhizotomy is a procedure that careful cuts off selected sensory nerves.

Our team includes pediatric experts in orthopedics, neurosurgery and physical medicine and rehabilitation. We work together to identify and address the unique needs of each child.