Cerebral Palsy Spastic Hemiparesis

Congenital Hand Conditions  Cerebral Palsy Spastic Hemiparesis

Cerebral Palsy Spastic Hemiparesis Congenital Hand Differences

Spastic hemiplegia is found in a large group of patients who have cerebral palsy. In patients with spastic hemiplegia, there has been an interruption of blood flow to the brain that has caused a traumatic injury of the brain which affects the musculoskeletal system.

Spastic hemiparesis or hemiplegia, means that there has been an injury to one side of the brain.  The neural fibres in the brain cross over, and therefore the manifestation of the injury is seen on the contralateral or other side of the body.  Generally, hemiplegia refers to complete paralysis of one side of the body, while hemiparesis refers to partial weakness.

There are many different reasons why someone may have a congenital brain injury.  The most common is during birth where the labour causes prolonged ischemic events leading to a brain injury. This, over time, then progresses into a spastic hemiplegia condition. This affects the upper and lower limb in a very specific way.  In the younger group of patients, as the condition progresses, the shoulder turns in, the elbow is fixed in flexion, and the wrist and fingers move into flexion due to the increased involunary tone of the muscles.

Some patients are more functional than others, and the goal is always to maintain  function and, at the same time, help them use their hands as best as possible.   In advanced cases, the goal may be facilitate nursing and basic hygiene functions.

Management

The management of spastic hemiparesis  and hemiplegia is a combination of early physiotherapy, and often Botox (in the early phases) can be considered to release the spasms and improve the functionality of the hand. In the later phases and more progressed cases, a la carte or multiple surgical interventions can be done to achieve a straight elbow, which addresses the flexion contractures of the forearm. Here, we use methods such as a combination of lengthening of the muscles and the release of flexion contractures, and in advanced stages, we may fuse some joints to stiffen them.

Please feel free to contact us if you, as an adult, suffer from a similar type of disability or have a child who suffers from this.

FAQ

1What are the major signs of cerebral palsy?
  • Slow development
  • Weakness in the legs or arms
  • Sudden jerks of the body
  • Tremors
2How does Spastic hemiplegia occur?
Spastic hemiplegia may develop due to a brain injury, particularly due to an injury affecting the motor cortex.
3How do you treat spastic hemiplegia?
Doctors prescribe medications to help ease spastic muscles. There are certain types of medications to address seizures or other health complications that may arise from this condition.

Please read the above text for more in-depth information to help answer these questions. It's important to consult with our qualified healthcare professionals to ensure the appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan for your specific situation.

 Cerebral Palsy

 Cerebral Palsy