Cerebral Palsy
and AFOs

The term cerebral palsy refers to a group of neurological conditions that affect muscle tone, posture, and movement. The condition happens because of damage or a disability during brain development.

Types of Cerebral Palsy

There are three main types of cerebral palsy, and each has different effects on the body.

Spastic – The most common of these three types is spastic cerebral palsy, which affects about 80% of all people with the condition. People with this type of cerebral palsy have stiff muscles, therefore movements can be awkward. Spastic cerebral palsy usually affects the legs.

Dyskinetic – People with dyskinetic cerebral palsy experience uncontrollable movements that are sometimes jerky. Muscle tone can change from day to day ranging from too tight to too loose. This type of cerebral palsy affects the hands, arms, feet, legs, and sometimes even the face and tongue.

Ataxic – Ataxic cerebral palsy is the third type, which affects balance and coordination. People with this type may be unsteady when walking, or may have trouble with movements that require control, like writing.

Symptoms

Cerebral palsy is usually diagnosed within the first two years of life. Occasionally, very mild cases are not diagnosed until age 4. There are several signs that a baby may need to be evaluated for cerebral palsy, but the most obvious are symptoms involving movement. These can include stiff muscles, exaggerated reflexes, variations in muscle tone, lack of balance, and jerky movements.

Causes

Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal development of the brain or damage to parts of the brain during development. This usually occurs prior to birth, or during birth, but can also happen shortly after birth, as well. Reasons for the abnormal development or damage to the brain range from a variety of factors.

Low birthweight and premature birth are common factors in babies that develop cerebral palsy. Very small and early babies are at a higher risk for brain bleeds or fluid accumulation in the brain. These conditions can cause brain damage while the brain is still developing. Multiple births are at higher risk for cerebral palsy. Babies born in multiples commonly have lower birthweights and earlier births.

If a mother experiences an infection during her pregnancy, the baby is at higher risk of cerebral palsy. Infections may include things like toxoplasmosis and rubella (German measles). If the infection triggers inflammation, this can cause damage to the baby’s developing nervous system.

In addition, if a pregnant mother is exposed to toxic substances, they are at greater risk of their baby developing cerebral palsy.

Treatments

There is no cure for cerebral palsy, but with early intervention many children can learn to manage and possibly even overcome their disabilities. As each child and their abilities and disabilities are different, there is no one-size-fits all treatment. Many will find success using a variety of treatments that include physical therapy, occupational therapy, some oral and injectable medications, surgeries, and orthotic devices like AFOs (ankle-foot orthosis).

AFO braces can help people with cerebral palsy to improve strength, comfort, and stability. The devices help to hold the leg and foot in place, reducing the tightening of spastic muscles and preventing unwanted movements. Because the AFO brace holds the leg and foot in the correct position, it also helps the bones and muscles to grow and develop correctly.

Importance of Protective Interface Socks

An AFO brace is such an important device for most children with cerebral palsy. These devices, however, can cause a child pain from chafing when the brace rubs against the skin. Keeping the skin healthy and protected is vital to continuing AFO brace therapy, so it is important to protect skin with a proper AFO sock like a SmartKnit AFO sock. The socks must be seamless to help avoid painful rubbing from a seam. It is important that they are also moisture wicking to keep legs and feet dry.

** Sources: Physiopedia.com; Mayo Clinic; CDC; NIH.gov; Cleveland Clinic; cerebralpalsyguidance.com