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Most children wish for toys and consoles like Switch, Nerf Guns, or Twister to play with their friends. But Jorge, a boy in Spain diagnosed with cerebral palsy, prays not for any of those but for an exoskeleton so that he can walk upright and alongside his friends. Finally, thanks to the efforts of fundraisers, his dream came true! On his 12th birthday, he got the surprise he’s always wished for – a robotic exoskeleton.
As you might already know, robotic exoskeletons, such as those that Jorge received, play a critical role in facilitating gait training exercises in Miami. For patients diagnosed with cerebral palsy, regular gait training can mean a lot of difference in their lives as it helps manage spasticity, rebuild neural pathways, and build endurance. It also allows patients to address mobility problems.
Cerebral palsy, or CP, is a disorder that affects a patient’s ability to move around and maintain posture and balance. It is the most widespread childhood motor disability, affecting 764,000 in the USA and 18 million worldwide.
Jorge Alejo, the 12-year-old Spanish kid who made the news on The Guardian, shares the same plight as most individuals diagnosed with CP. And unfortunately, because of the disease, he had limited mobility and struggled to stand, walk over and play with kids his age. Like other young CP patients, he primarily relied on his wheelchair for mobility.
The disease remains incurable, so kids like Jorge experience the symptoms most of their lives. Besides robotic assistive devices such as exoskeletons, CP patients often need to undergo several therapy treatments to restore mobility, prevent muscle wasting, retrain the brain, and thrive despite the paralysis. Let’s deep dive into the specifics of cerebral palsy rehabilitation.
Despite the absence of a cure for cerebral palsy, patients still have several treatment options to improve their health and well-being. To create an effective cerebral palsy patient care plan, you must consider the patient’s specific symptoms and needs. And as each patient’s needs change over time, your choice of treatment has to be progressive and flexible.
People with cerebral palsy often need to undergo various kinds of therapy treatments. For example, you might need to work with an occupational therapist to retrain the body in performing simple tasks like brushing one’s teeth or using a piece of mobility equipment. If the speech is affected, you can work with a speech therapist. Additionally, patients need to tap into physical activities such as gait training exercises in Miami to avoid irreversible complications.
Doctors can sometimes prescribe cerebral palsy medications. However, it’s worth noting that these don’t cure the disease but rather help reduce seizures or muscle spasms.
Robotic exoskeletons seem to be the future of cerebral palsy rehabilitation. Nowadays, doctors and therapists tap into exoskeleton technology to help paralyzed military men and veterans. In the case of Jorge, he received a robotics exoskeleton from Marsi-Bionics – a Spain-based company that develops self-adaptive exoskeletons for gait training.
Studies have found that exoskeletons work wonders for children with cerebral palsy, especially those diagnosed as GMFCS level I (walkers) and GMFCS level II (walkers with limitations). Currently, researchers are looking into the long-term use of exoskeletons and how it can affect rehabilitation and recovery efforts in young patients.
Surgery is sometimes an option in managing cerebral palsy. This is especially true for cases that stem from deformities, injuries, and other severe issues.
If you or a loved one has cerebral palsy, these are your options to help improve your quality of life. They can reduce the impacts of your condition, and if used early, they might allow for better and more favorable outcomes.
Having cerebral palsy can be challenging. But no matter how your condition affects you, following this list of tips can help you thrive.
Are you ready to start embracing a thriving life with cerebral palsy? Our team at iAM ABLE can help. Our mission is to overcome the impact of paralyzing conditions such as cerebral palsy with the help of proven therapeutic exercise-based programs such as gait training exercises in Miami. We also have state-of-the-art equipment like robotic exoskeletons and a professionally trained fitness and paralysis experts team.
We are focused on improving the quality of life of individuals with paralysis through intense therapeutic exercise, mentoring, and support. We have programs for stimulation, strength, motion range, weight-bearing, and gait training exercises in Miami, Florida.
So, if you ever feel hopeless and helpless because of your disability, we encourage you to work with iAM ABLE. For more information on our cerebral palsy rehabilitation programs, you can email us at alfredo@iamable.org or download our free ebook on thriving after paralysis.
Grab our free e-book 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to THRIVE after Paralysis by clicking the image below.
