This therapy again is individualized geared to improve emotional and social development; reduce aggression; improve cooperation with others; assist a child in processing a traumatic event or prepare for an upcoming event such as surgery. Surgery – Although surgery may become necessary in some cases, physical therapy and the consistent use of braces can help mitigate the need for surgery. Surgical procedures are painful with long and difficult recoveries and do not cure the condition. Most common is a surgery that effectively lengthens the muscle. This type of surgery is usually performed on the legs, but can be performed on the arms as well. Surgeries also may be necessary to realign joints. Other, less popular surgical techniques try to reduce spasticity by severing selected overactive nerves that control muscles. This procedure, known as selective dorsal root rhizotomy, is still somewhat controversial and is generally used only on the lower extremities of severe cases. Other experimental surgical techniques are also being investigated. The benefits of surgery can also be negated or reversed if the patient does not participate in physical therapy and braces (or casts) are not worn regularly. Medicinal – Medication targeting symptoms associated with spasticity is also a relatively new treatment that is utilized but is still in the early stages of development. Drugs such as baclofen, benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam), tizanidine, and sometimes dantrolene have shown promise in the effort to diminish spasticity.
Due to the decrease in weight bearing, patients are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. An unhealthy weight can further complicate mobility. Patients with spastic hemiplegia are a high risk for experiencing seizures. Oromotor dysfunction puts patients at risk for aspiration pneumonia. Visual field deficits can cause impaired two-point discrimination. Many patients experience the loss of sensation in the arms and legs on the affected side of the body. Nutrition is essential for the proper growth and development for a child with spastic hemiplegia. Causes
There are many different brain dysfunctions that can account for the cause for spastic hemiplegia. Spastic hemiplegia occurs either at birth or in the womb. The cause can be all types of strokes, cerebral palsy head injuries, hereditary diseases, brain injuries and infections. Malformations of the veins or arteries in any part of the body can lead to spastic hemiplegia. The artery most commonly affected is the middle cerebral artery. Unborn and newborn babies are susceptible to strokes. Leukodystrophies are a group of hereditary diseases that are known to cause spastic hemiplegia. Brain infections that cause spastic hemiplegia are meningitis, multiple sclerosis, and encephalitis. The spasticity occurs when the afferent pathways in the brain are compromised and the communication between the brain to the motor fibers is lost. When the inhibitory signals to deactivate the stretch reflex is lost the muscle remains in a constantly contracted state.