Walking through the various Cerebral palsy treatment options.

Cerebral palsy as we are aware of is a non-curable disorder .However there exists  different forms & types of therapies which can be of help to improve the quality of life and the prevailing  conditions of the children & people suffering . The word “Therapy” could often sound as frustrating & tedious however for those suffering from Cerebral palsy; it is a part of daily routine /life. Unlike the conventional forms of therapies, the recent ones embedded with audio visual effects provide children especially with a virtual world escape from the real world limitations.

Various therapies available can be enlisted are as follows:

Acupuncture: It has been practiced for thousands of years in china & other parts of the world .  It helps reduce stress, improve energy, and restore balance.  Acupuncture provides effective therapeutic relief for many health conditions including migraines, dizziness, depression and anxiety. Balance problems can be treated with less fear of falling to a hard surface.

Aqua therapy: Water is forgiving – your body can attempt movement and make mistakes and miscalculations and thereby learn its safe limits. Aquatic physical therapy is often prescribed in conjunction with land-based therapy.

Equine-therapy/Hippotherapy: Horses are special animals and their healing powers have been recognized for thousands of years.  Physical therapists believe that the horse's movement created neurological changes that help to improve a person's postural control, strength, and coordination.

Physical & occupational therapy: Includes Exercises practiced were all aimed to improve your mobility and function of   body parts. Also includes Manual therapy to relieve pain and stiffness & improve blood circulation. Assistive tools for      exercises such as physioball , balance board , scooter ,swings etc are  used . Medical Management: Depending on the etiology of the extent of patient’s suffering a variety of medical and surgical    options may be recommended by appropriate medical professional(s). Medications may be provided to suppress the    vestibular symptoms or to treat the primary & secondary conditions .Dietary and/or lifestyle changes may be  recommended. Surgical intervention may be considered in specific cases.

 A more futuristic technology that is able to cope up with the overall demands of all the therapies also which would streamline all the aspects of the therapy along with the major component of clear detection of results is the need of the  hour.

A New Feather on our hat.

Congratulations to all at Transpact Enterprises Pvt. Ltd as we have been awarded the ISO 9001:2016 & ISO 13485:2016 certifications for our quality management system for the design, manufacture (production) and distribution(sales) of our medical therapeutic devices and related software.

ISO 9001 certification emphases on quality management certifying that a company’s products are designed, manufactured, distributed and all the processes are documented and implemented according to the nationally approved ISO 9001:2016 standards. Some of the criteria for ISO 9001 certifications need that the company must be a customer-focused , has a system approach to management, provide continual improvement, have jointly beneficial supplier relationships, and more.

 The ISO 13485:2016 certification is an important statement proving our assurance to quality on all levels .At Transpact Enterprises we demonstrate that our team has worked to place our compliance level at an increased height which would ensure us to meet our customers' quality necessities, applied all relevant regulatory requirements, and so on 

A Comprehensive treatment Plan

The extent of the physical impairment a child suffers from the neurological /brain damage is taken as the primary condition of the child .However along with are various secondary , associative and co- mitigating conditions which exists due to  the primary effects. The primary physical impairment may involve challenges with muscle tone, reflexes, posture, balance, fine and gross motor functioning also oral motor functioning. Which in turn create secondary conditions such as difficulty to chew, swallow, or communicate that also require treatment.  Managing  Cerebral Palsy is further complicated by co-mitigating factors which are not caused by the same brain damage that caused CP but that still exists in the child as a separate condition which  requires  simultaneous treatment eg child my suffer from asthma or any such ailment.

Due such complications in the treatment and uniqueness of every child as far as extent of impairment is considered, the Children require or need a comprehensive treatment & care plan which differ from child to child .This plan takes into consideration all the conditions existing in the child, the child’s ability, his /her socio –economic background also kind & quality of home care received. The team includes the various multidisciplinary doctors, pediatrician, parents or the legal guardians. At the onset goals for the treatment are established keeping in mind the medical condition of the child .Then the set goals are achieved using a combination of drugs & therapies.

However a keen observation from the primary caregiver is required all time as complications may arise at any point of time, noticing them earlier can help the caregiver to act promptly and minimize the effect.  It takes lot from the general primary pediatrician and caregivers to accomplish the set goals of treatment to develop in the child abilities so that the/she can have degree of independence and lead a quality life.

Means of combating Cerebral palsy

Every individual suffering from cerebral palsy is unique in terms of severity of damage, extent and type of impairment. The symptomatology of this disorder (CP) is very varied; it may range from slight clumsiness to severe impairments. The classical symptoms are associated with abnormality in muscles, reflexes, motor development and coordination, sensory impairments, seizures, spasticity etc.

Hence developing a general protocol for treatment is very difficult. The damage caused to the brain cannot be healed however various therapies, surgeries, drugs, treatments and so on help the individuals to fight this disorder. All the courses of treatment aim to optimize mobility, cope primary conditions, regulate pain, manage and control  complications, associative conditions and co-mitigating factors, maximize independence, boost social and peer interactions, raise self-care, optimize ability to communicate, maximize learning potential & above all  to provide a quality  life.

Various Course of treatments are available today for Cerebral palsy to list a few  like  acupuncture, aqua therapy, behavioral therapy, physical therapy ,cognitive education , nutrition & diet therapy ,hippotherapy ,massage therapy ,occupational therapy ,play therapy ,recreational therapy , respiratory therapy ,sensory integration therapy ,social therapy ,speech & language therapy  , various surgeries & supplementary medications.

However in a long run the cost of these treatment goes high .We are in need for a one stop solution in terms of reliability, efficiency & economics of cerebral palsy treatment. 

A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that distributes roses

That was really a hectic day for me as I had a meeting with my directors in the early hours, had to meet all my deadlines, submit my report and then rush back home as my most awaited vacation was about to begin. I was so excited to take up the travel and experience the climate in north-east on my birthday.

I reported to office at my regular work hours and rushed to complete my work as planned. Mr. Aslam Khan then arrived at office for the meeting. “Mr. Khan is the kind of person you would love to hear and learn from. He is always a high energy person and has something positive to say all the time”. He greeted me with advance wishes on my birthday and till the other directors arrived, we both started talking about many things like daily commute, people, life and living.

Mr. Khan from his observations & memories filled college days, picked up the experience and wisdom he acquired from the commute to Byculla, Saboo Sidddique College by train to share with me what he intended me to understand was how to live and grow up in life. He said, “Over the period of nine years of travelling, I could categorize the people commuting from the train in three different Categories. The first category of people were the ones who would just rush to get into the train pushing & pulling others to get seats or appropriate places to stand .The second category were those better travellers who would first board the train and then assist others on the platform to get in. There were some other people who would let others get in first, help college students, co-commuters with children to board & then themselves would board, these formed the third category”.

He further explained me what exactly he wanted to convey. Life is a journey and we can make the best out of it, if we inculcate the values like empathy, sacrifice, helpfulness, being optimistic & patience in ourselves. Being helpful not only makes another person feel better but also makes us feel better from inside and also about ourselves. May be we ourselves must be going through tough time but being there for someone at his time of need will give us an eternal peace ,solace and contentment in a long run. Mr. Khan advised me to strive to be among the third category in life.

 I then kept pondering over this thought of his .And I really felt we can flourish with love and care in life only if we allow and help others to grow in life. The Chinese proverb “A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that distributes roses” rightly describes this.

Autism & Cerebral Palsy are they inter-related?

After three of  months reading about cerebral palsy , autism and  sensory impairment  ,vestibular and associated conditions ;A question  continuously arising is Are these conditions inter related???

Although from the studies it can be concluded that cerebral palsy is the condition wherein the brain is damaged and this disorder is non-developmental. However autism on another hand is a developmental disorder wherein the child doesn’t reach the age group milestones as the peers, since there is retardation in the process of brain and nerve development.

The common aspect expect for mercury poisoning is the vestibular system. Balance, posture and spatial orientation of body is achieved and maintained by a complex set of sensorimotor control systems. It includes inputs from eyes, inputs from muscle and joints, inputs from vestibular system, integration of sensory processing the conflict between the inputs, reflex motor output, learning and retention of knowledge. In cerebral palsy it is seen that either sensory inputs or motor reflexes or both can be affected due to the kind and extent of damage to the brain whereas in autism sensory integration dysfunction is observed which leads to their overstimulated or calm behavior.

It is still a topic of debate whether cerebral palsy and autism are interrelated. But it can be stated that the treatment of both involves stimulation of vestibular system by Swinging, Bouncing, Twirling, tilting and rotation motions etc  along with various other therapies and it should be noted  time plays a very important factor in both the cases.

Autism....

Another intellectual disorder which is less studied and closely related to CP yet differs in terms of physical impairment is Autism. Autism affects the social interaction and behavior of child .Also communication both verbal and non-verbal is seen to be affected. Like cerebral palsy every child has his/her own unique pattern of impairment. The extent of penetration of this developmental disorder differs from individual to individual.

Individuals and children suffer from the following conditions namely speech and language difficulties, intellectual disability, sleep problems, attention problems, epilepsy, anxiety, depression and difficulties with fine and gross motor skills.

An autism spectrum finds its roots in lack in sensory integration of body. It is observed that children with autism have either hypo or hyper activity of vestibular and nerves related to it. Unlike Cerebral palsy autism is treatable to an extent wherein the child can lead a normally life overcoming all the communication and behavioral challenges. Early detection of autism leads to quicker and better chances of recovery of the child.

There is no medical treatment which can cure autism. However drug therapy or medications can help to reduce depression, anxiety , manage  energy levels etc. ,behavioral and responsive training and interventions may help to teach them desired behavioral patterns; occupational and speech therapy helps to teach and inculcate basic living and communication skills. However the most important of all is the sensory integration therapy which involves stimulation of vestibular system and other nerves. This is achieved using various physiotherapy exercises involving rotation, tilting etc.