Introduction
	Types
	Causes
	Signs and Symptoms
	Homoeopathic treatment

Cerebral Palsy, also known as Little's disease or Static Encephalopathy, is a disease of the motor area of the brain wherein, due to a developmental fault or damage, the brains ability to control bodys movements and posture is lost.

Cerebral palsy usually occurs as a result of events that occur before or during childbirth, but it may also be acquired during the first few months or years of life as a result of head trauma or infection.

Various types of Cerebral Palsy and their respective symptoms have been described below:

1. Spastic cerebral palsy: This is the most common type of cerebral palsy. In spastic cerebral palsy, the muscle tone is too high or too tight. The children show jerky movements as the muscles are too tight. They have great difficulty in stretching, changing position or hold or leaving something from hand. The spasticity may be mild or severe and may affect only few movements.
2. Ataxic cerebral palsy: Children with Ataxic cerebral palsy have low muscle tone. The children look unsteady; tremble like old people, especially when they are doing activities like writing or using a scissor or doing the buttons of their shirt. They have poor balance and an unsteady gait while walking.
3. Athetoid cerebral palsy: In athetoid cerebral palsy, the muscle tone is sometimes too high or sometimes too low. Children have difficulty in holding themselves upright, in steady position for walking or standing or sitting. They have many involuntary movements of the arms, upper body parts and face. With great difficulty, they can reach for something or to a certain spot.
4. Mixed cerebral palsy: Here the muscle tone is too low for some muscles where as too high in other muscles.
5. Spastic Quadriplegia: All four limbs i.e. both arms and both legs are affected. Children with quadriplegia have trouble in moving all body parts, not only their arms and legs are involved but the neck and trunk are also affected. Hence, they have difficulty in eating and talking and need a wheelchair to move around.
6. Spastic Diplegia: In Spastic Diplegia, the lower limbs i.e. both the legs are more severely affected as compared to the arms. Hence walking and running is very difficult where as they can sit straight and use their hands well. Rarely the upper limbs i.e. both arms are severely affected.
7. Spastic Hemiplegia: Any one side of the body is affected i.e. one arm and one leg is affected where as other side of the body is normal. These children can walk and run, but they have a little awkward gait due to limping.
8. Triplegia (very rare): Three limbs are affected, mostly both the arms and one leg is involved. These children can walk and run, but have limping. They have difficulty in using their hands.
9. Monoplegia (very rare): Only one limb is affected and mostly it is the arm.

• Not Contagious
• Not Hereditary
• Not Progressives
• Not life threatening

Injury to the brain before, during or just after birth, may result in Cerebral Palsy. Conditions that can predispose to this include:

• Infection Rubella (German measles), Toxoplasmosis, Cytomegalovirus and HIV
• Accident
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Congenital malformation of brain
• Rh incompatibility
• Abuse of alcohol
• Cigarette smoking
• Malnutrition
• Use of drugs - Cocaine

• Forceps delivery
• Difficult delivery
• Prolonged labour
• Asphyxia during birth
• Umbilical cord around the neck

• Infection
• Accidents head injury
• Jaundice
• Intraventricular hemorrhages
• Intracranial hemorrhages
• Seizures

• Low birth weight babies
• Low birth weight babies
• Babies who does not cry for first 5 minutes after birth
• Babies who need to be on ventilator for more then 4 weeks
• Babies with Seizures

• Delayed milestones
• Difficulty in talking, walking, playing or eating normally
• Difficult movements
• Abnormal movements
• Muscle tightness or spasms
• Involuntary movements
• Difficulty with gross motor skills walking or running
• Difficulty with fine motor skills writing or using scissors or doing up buttons
• Difficulty in perception and sensation

Cerebral Palsy is non-progressive in nature but secondary orthopaedic deformities are common e.g. Scoliosis of the spine, Dislocation of the Hip joint, etc. In order to prevent these and to make daily routine more manageable for patients, timely treatment is very essential. The treatment includes combination of Homeopathic medicines along with supportive treatments such as:

• Physical therapy: To prevent muscle weakness, atrophy and contracture
• Speech Therapy
• Behavioral therapy to overcome various deficits and encourage the child to learn to use weak limbs

The homeopathic medicines help in improving the muscle tone in the paretic limbs slowly over a period of time. In case of spastic limbs, the medication can help in reducing the spasticity and can thus prevent joint dislocations. The involuntary movements can also reduce with continued medication. Overall, the patient will see positive changes with homeopathic treatment; hence Homeopathy is definitely suggested for all cases of Cerebral Palsy.