Introduction to Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a term used to describe a problem with movement and posture that makes certain
activities difficult. Even though someone who has cerebral palsy has problems moving his or her muscles,
this is not because there is something wrong with the muscles or nerves. These difficulties are caused
because of problems in the brain. The patient might have had an injury to the brain, or had a brain that
didn’t develop properly. These problems can affect the way the brain controls movement and posture.
Simply stated, "Cerebral" refers to the brain, and "Palsy" refers to muscle weakness/poor control. Although
the brain itself will not get worse, people who have cerebral palsy will usually change over time. Sometimes
they will get better, and some patients will stay the same. Occasionally they will get worse, usually because
of contracture of the joints or changes in the muscle tone;
There is currently no cure for cerebral palsy. but, there are different treatment options for people who have
cerebral palsy. These options include therapy, medications, surgery, education and support. By taking
advantage of one or more of these options, people with cerebral palsy can learn to improve their function
and the quality of their lives.