Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of disability in early childhood. It may present with delay in milestones such as head holding, sitting or walking; muscle tone abnormalities or balance and gait disorders. Epilepsy, mental retardation, speech disorders, strabismus and visual disturbances may accompany these motor disorders. In CP rehabilitation, the main objective is to keep the functional status at the optimal level, to prevent the secondary disorders and to improve the quality of life of the patient. For this reason, CP patients should be monitored by a rehabilitation physician regularly and the treatment must be redirected according to the encountered problems.