Serious Complications Of Cerebral Palsy

Chronic Pain

Research indicates that up to seventy-five percent of individuals with cerebral palsy will deal with chronic pain as a complication. Despite how common chronic pain is as a complication, though, it is an understudied physical aspect of this condition. Chronic pain in cerebral palsy patients often appears in the lower portion of the body. Specifically, chronic pain develops in the feet, ankles, knees, lower back, and hips. Although this complication in cerebral palsy is not well understood, information suggests that elevated cortisol, the stress hormone, can indicate chronic pain in affected patients. Functional magnetic resonance imaging may also help doctors detect this chronic pain in affected individuals.

Speech Problems

Unfortunately, speech problems are a common complication seen in individuals with cerebral palsy. A study from 2012 indicated that speech issues affect over half of children with this condition. Patients develop speech problems in cerebral palsy because many of them find it quite challenging to control many of the muscles in their head, neck, face, and throat. Some of the muscles in these areas make it harder for patients to speak clearly and smoothly. It can make them drool excessively as well. Thus, cerebral palsy patients will often require speech therapy to help strengthen these muscles and improve their overall speech quality.