Botox can Help Kids with Cerebral Palsy

Doctors across the nation are administering Botox injections into the tight muscles of children with cerebral palsy. When used in conjunction with physical therapy, Botox can help strengthen patient’s weak muscles and restore normal movements.

To use Botox in treating patients with cerebral palsy, the procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. While anesthesia is generally not required to administer Botox, pediatric neurologist Pedro Weisleder of Duke University, has developed a safe sedation system for children with cerebral palsy. This inhaled anesthesia is similar to the laughing gas administered in dentist offices.

According to Weisleder, “Children don’t take well to needles or painful procedures, and several parents asked if we could perform the injections under anesthesia to eliminate their child’s pain.”

The result of combining this procedure with anesthesia is a painless, lower-stress procedure and a rapid post-operative recovery time. Some doctors say using anesthesia during Botox injections allows for more accurate injections, especially with otherwise squirmy children. To determine the correct muscles for treatment, doctors often use a special needle through which they are able to stimulate the muscles directly and deliver the medication.

The effects of Botox treatment for cerebral palsy last approximately three months. During this time of improved muscle function, physical therapy is used to help stretch and strengthen the muscles. While the cosmetic goal of Botox is to paralyze and relax the muscles of the face to diminish wrinkle lines, the goal of Botox treatment in cerebral palsy is to rebalance muscles around the joints for improved function and movement.

In patients with cerebral palsy, the brain’s ability to orchestrate muscle contraction properly is often lost. Muscles that cause contraction are generally stronger than those that produce extension. By using Botox, the stronger muscles are partially paralyzed giving patients an opportunity to strengthen weaker muscles.

The ultimate goal of physical therapy and Botox injections is to achieve improved muscle balance, which may lead to the restoration of normal function.

Experts caution, that Botox is not an appropriate cerebral palsy treatment for every patient. The amount of Botox that a child can safely receive is also limited to their body size.

Contact a cerebral palsy lawyer to learn more about the rights of cerebral palsy patients.