We take a multidisciplinary approach to treating spastic cerebral palsy, the most common type of cerebral palsy in which patients have stiff muscles and awkward movements. A team consisting of pediatric neurosurgeons, pediatric orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists evaluate each patient to determine the appropriate treatment strategy. This may consist of performing a procedure known as a selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), a one-time surgery to permanently reduce spasticity in the legs. Additionally, implantation of a baclofen pump may also be done to reduce spasticity. Baclofen is a medication commonly used to treat spasticity; a baclofen pump uses a catheter to deliver a liquid form of the drug into a patient’s spinal fluid.
UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital collaborates with the Cerebral Palsy Research Network (CPRN), a national partnership working to improve care for people with cerebral palsy.
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