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.