Pediatric cerebral palsy can bring great physical and mental pain to the child and his or her family. Therefore, we need to detect, diagnose and treat this disease as early as possible, and we must choose scientific and efficient therapies during the rehabilitation process to reduce the pain of the child as much as possible, so that they can recover and return to the ranks of healthy people as soon as possible. Today, I am going to focus on the occupational therapy in cerebral palsy rehabilitation treatment.
Occupational therapy is a treatment method to restore, improve and enhance the living and learning abilities of cerebral palsy patients who have physical, mental and developmental dysfunction or disability, resulting in different degrees of loss of self-care and vocational work ability, and to help them return to society by applying purposeful and selected occupational activities.
The occupational therapy used in cerebral palsy rehabilitation is as follows.
1.Promoting the motor function of the upper limb coarse
A child with cerebral palsy who does not have appropriate gross motor function of the upper limbs cannot be trained in fine hand function. Therefore, in occupational therapy, it is best to emphasize the training of gross motor skills until they can well support fine motor skills, but at the same time, it is still necessary to provide the child with opportunities for different sensory experiences of the hand, and, before starting to train fine motor skills, it is also necessary to emphasize hand -Eye cognitive training.
2. Promote fine motor function of the hand
Early visual integration and purposeful use of the hand are fundamental to the development of fine motor function in cerebral palsy occupational therapy. Therapists can help children with cerebral palsy practice visual fixation, visual tracking, and hand-eye coordination by using fun toys and their own faces in therapy, and, frequently maintain visual contact with the child.
3. Develop daily living skills
Children with cerebral palsy often need a lot of help with activities of daily living, so all possible methods should be used to develop skills and abilities in this area during the treatment process, through repeated practice, imitation and gradual learning with the child’s guidance.
When used in the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy, occupational therapy serves the following six main rehabilitation purposes.
I. Motor aspects.
1. Normalize the postural muscle tone of the child;
2. Increase the symmetrical muscle activity of the child;
3.Emphasize the activity in the midline of the body;
4.Increase the control ability of the limbs, especially the muscles of the upper limbs.
II. Sensory aspects.
1.Promote the integration of the righting reflex, balance reflex and protective reflex;
2. Normalize the response to sensory stimuli.
3. Sensory and cognitive aspects: 1.
1.Promote the development of perceptual skills;
2.Develop cognitive skills.
Self-care: It can promote the development and independence of the child’s ability to perform activities of daily living.
V. Productive activities: 1.
1.Promote the development of work habits, work skills, and work abilities;
2. Provide opportunities for vocational exploration;
3. Encourage the development of independent living skills.
6. Recreation: Explore the possible recreational interests of the child and promote the development of recreational skills. To summarize, occupational therapy for children with cerebral palsy can promote their upper limb functional development, gross motor function motor development, and help them maintain normal posture; improve their perceptual and cognitive functions; help with activities of daily living, clothing, food, housing and transportation training as well as promote emotional and social development, so that the children can achieve self-care and eventually return to society successfully.