It is difficult for an adult with cerebral palsy to move due to weight. As a result, an adult has to move in a wheelchair. With adult cerebral palsy (in ICD-10 under the code G80), the motility of the limbs is impaired. Because of this, it’s hard to move and make sudden movements, so it’s hard to take care of yourself. Even cooking is difficult.
Features
It is impossible for such people to work, much less physical labor. In adults with cerebral palsy, there is a retardation in development or mental abnormalities due to damaged brain structures responsible for reason. It’s hard for such people to talk, as the muscles work. As a result, there are difficulties with eating and unnatural facial expressions appear on the face.
In an adult patient, epilepsy often begins to develop. An abnormal perception of the world is observed, again, associated with damage to the patient's brain. In addition, often a person with this diagnosis begins to rapidly decrease vision and hearing.
In addition to the physical consequences, the adult patient has psychological consequences. The patient begins to develop a mental disorder. This is a neurosis or depression. Consciousness is also changing for the worse.
With cerebral palsy in adulthood, women have no difficulties with pregnancy and childbirth. Sick pregnant women have a baby, without any difficulties. Doctors often advise pregnant women with cerebral palsy to have a cesarean section, but this is only done in severe cases. Pregnant patients require close supervision by a gynecologist. Women with cerebral palsy can give birth to twins or triplets without complications. Cerebral palsy from adult parents is not transmitted to children. In adults, healthy babies are almost always born.
Symptoms
A smooth course of cerebral palsy in adults is characteristic. Over the years, a child’s disease develops, congenital or acquired pathologies accompany the patient throughout life. With minor brain damage and timely diagnosis, followed by symptomatic treatment, a decrease in cognitive and motor impairment is possible. Symptoms of cerebral palsy in adults:
- General muscle weakness. Often found in patients, accompanied by pain caused by bone deformation.
- Arthrosis and arthritis. Arising in childhood, disorders of the motor system, accompanied by improper interaction of the joints, begin to cause inconvenience over time.
- Pain Suddenly occurring, acute or chronic pain disturbs the patient. Most often, the affected areas are the knees, upper or lower back. Suffering from these pains, a person cannot independently determine their strength and the source of spread.
- Premature aging. The signs accompanying this symptom begin to appear when patients reach the age of 40 years. The reason for this is the forced work of weakened, poorly developed organs in full force along with completely healthy ones to maintain the patient's body. In this connection, early wear of some systems occurs (cardiovascular, respiratory).
Effects
The consequences of cerebral palsy in adults:
- Basically, with cerebral palsy, the patient is not able to move normally on his legs. Due to lack of coordination, in addition to difficulties in walking, it is even more difficult to maintain balance, so the patient needs constant help from loved ones.
- The patient's ability to carry out certain types of motor skills disappears, because of this, he cannot take care of himself, and there can be no question of work, especially physical.
- In many patients, the structure responsible for the mental state is damaged, so they lag behind in development or have psychological abnormalities.
- The patient worsens speech, as there is a violation in the contractions of the facial muscles. There are also difficulties with eating and unnatural facial expressions.
- Often the patient begins to develop epilepsy.
- Sometimes there is an abnormal perception of the world due to brain damage.
- The patient begins to rapidly decrease hearing and vision.
- Psychological disorders appear. This is expressed, in turn, in phobias or depression.
- It is difficult for the patient to communicate with other people due to a closed lifestyle.
Surgery
Surgical treatment of cerebral palsy certainly involves a comprehensive medical diagnosis of the patient’s health status. The complex includes:
- EEG;
- MRI
- electromyography;
- ENG and others
In addition to the above diagnostic complex, the patient undergoes consultations with an ophthalmologist, orthopedist, epileptologist, psychiatrist, in exceptional cases, even a speech therapist, as well as other specialists, each of whom must provide his medical permission for the surgical treatment of the patient’s pathology in the anatomical field, concerning his specialization.
Neurosurgery in the treatment of adults with disabilities with cerebral palsy is a serious and radical method of therapy. Therefore, it is necessary to use it, carefully weighing everything, and get advice from various specialists. When adaptive treatment does not give the expected and visible improvements in treatment, while muscle tone turns into cramps or hyperkinesis, which more and more hinder a person, and movements cause pain - neurosurgery will help. Otherwise, deterioration in health is inevitable.
The development of extensive muscle paralysis gradually turns into inflammation of the epidural fiber, which, in turn, affects blood circulation and metabolic processes in the body. These disorders inevitably lead to a failure of the outflow of venous blood from the cervical spine, which can lead to disruption of the spinal cord.
As an opportunity to solve the problem, at least 2 botulinum toxin blockages can be used, and when they do not give an effect, there are no more options.
Classes of exercise therapy
General prescription for all exercise therapy exercises:
- Systematic.
- Regularity.
- Purposefulness.
- Individuality (directly dependent on the age, diagnosis, condition and psyche of the patient being rehabilitated).
- Gradual increase in physical activity.
Types of exercises
The main types of exercise therapy for cerebral palsy:
- Stretching exercises aimed at reducing and removing excessive muscle tone.
- Exercises for the development of sensitivity and muscle strength, including those that allow you to adjust a particular muscle group.
- Classes aimed at restoring the functional state of muscle tissue by restoring and developing the susceptibility of nerve endings.
- Exercises aimed at the development of leading and antagonistic muscles.
- Endurance loads to improve organ performance.
- Exercises that relieve cramps and muscle spasms.
- Walking aimed at developing gait and posture.
- Exercises on the development of the organs of perception of the surrounding world (visual and tactile).
- Exercises that develop the vestibular apparatus.
Often, patients with cerebral palsy are prescribed the development of body muscles, performing a series of exercises with gradually increasing intensity and load. If LFK will not be used in cerebral palsy, then after a certain period of time the musculoskeletal functions may not be realized and depressed. In this connection, for adults suffering from the consequences of cerebral palsy, exercise therapy is important, despite the fact that with age, it takes much longer to bring muscles to their desired tone than children.
Massage
Stroking during massage has a relaxing effect. The movements of the hands of the masseur should be slow and soft. When rubbing and kneading, a specialist helps to relax, these techniques are best done gently, gently and more slowly than usual.
Shaking is a special and effective technique that can be used to reduce muscle tone of the limbs.
Warm up
First of all, back muscles are flexed:
- Hand movements follow from the lumbar region to the neck (paravertebral areas are carefully massaged using segmental and acupressure).
- Preparatory massage (rubbing, stroking, shallow massage of problem areas of the musculature).
- Massage projecting mild pain to areas of the body remote from the source of pain.
- Stroking completes the procedure for massage the back muscles. Then follows the processing of the muscles of the legs and buttocks.
Upper Shoulder Massage
Next stage. Massage of the upper shoulder girdle, muscles of the chest and abdomen. When massaging the muscles of the chest, techniques to enhance breathing help. In the process, a set of exercises to stretch the muscles should be applied.
With cerebral palsy, it is strictly forbidden to use the methods of squeezing, chopping, stripping. The duration of the session should be no more than 20 minutes. The average number of massage procedures for cerebral palsy is approximately 2-3 times every six months.
Drug treatment
Drug treatment of cerebral palsy in adults allows you to maintain and restore motor and sensory functions. It is impossible to completely defeat the disease with drugs, but you can make the patient’s life normal and joyful for him. Medication is often used with severe damage to the structure of the brain.
For the treatment of seizures in adults with cerebral palsy, two types of drug are used. Various anticonvulsants are used to combat seizures. They differ in the mechanism of action on the human body.
Benzodiazepines are used only in extreme cases to stop frequent seizures in a patient. They act on intracellular processes in the human brain.
What do doctors prescribe?
Diazepam This medication is used against frequent seizures. The dosage is prescribed by the attending physician, based on the result of the EEG and the type of seizures. There is no common drug for all types of seizures. Sometimes doctors have to prescribe complex drug therapy.
For the relaxant, "Lyorezal" and "Diazepam" are used. Together, they are able to block signals from the brain aimed at muscle contraction.
The drug "Dantrolene" is used to improve control over muscle contractions. These funds can reduce muscle tone during the treatment period.
For long-term consolidation of the result, physiotherapy should be used. Drugs have side effects. They can cause drowsiness and an allergic rash in an adult.
Doctors also prescribe dehydrating drug to sick adults. It is aimed at enhancing urine output and lowering cerebrospinal fluid products. Patients with cerebral palsy need to take medications aimed at improving blood circulation in the brain. Such drugs can improve the property of blood. Such drugs include Emoxipin.