Spider Therapy May Help Children With Cerebral Palsy Walk on Their Own

While there is no cure for cerebral palsy, every day more and more treatments and therapies for children who suffer from this condition and other neurological defects are introduced around the globe. One of the latest treatments is a special therapy know as “Spider” therapy, which may help children with cerebral palsy learn to walk on their own.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders caused by severe damage to the brain that effects movement and posture. Many children with cerebral palsy suffer from spasticity (stiffness) in their joints, namely their legs, and have difficulty walking on their own.

How Spider Therapy Works

The “Spider” involves attaching a number of different elastic cords (with different elasticity) to specific points on one end of a patient's body to different points on the other end.

This special suspension device allows a patient to move independently while controlling their movements as well as strengthening parts of the body affected by their condition.

Spider therapy is an intensive form of treatment and usually requires six-days-a-week, four-hour-a-day sessions.

“You never know how your child is going to respond,” said Joyce Bradshaw, a pediatrician, who has had several patients travel to Europe for Spider therapy. “But I think, if kids are making progress, it is a great thing—every little bit is a big thing for children with this condition.”

Where Spider Therapy Originated

Spider therapy originated in Poland and the Norman Rehabilitation Center—where many Americans travel to receive treatment—has been offering Spider therapy to children with cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders since 1994.

While Spider therapy and other similar forms of treatments for cerebral palsy are offered in the United States, many parents opt to take their children to Europe where the treatments are less costly and just as effective.

Does your child have cerebral palsy? If your child suffers from cerebral palsy you believe was caused by a medical professional's negligence or wrongdoing, you may be eligible to recover your losses and help pay for the costs of treatment by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Please contact a cerebral palsy attorney to learn more about your legal rights and options.