Patient's question:
After birth, he slept little, was particularly startled, and was diagnosed locally with calcium deficiency. At nine months, epilepsy was discovered, and he was treated at Jinan 159 Military Hospital, where he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Now he is 12 years old and cannot take care of himself, being hyperactive.Doctor's answer:
Rehabilitating paralysis also relies on exercise—active movement and passive massage. Exercise should be gradual and consistent, without haste or excessive intensity, as this can also cause injury. Patience is key when teaching children with cerebral palsy to sit, stand, walk, and grasp objects. Parents should not rush, and it’s equally important to teach the child not to hurry. Children with a "scissor gait" require special attention from parents to keep their legs apart, even during sleep, with proper padding. Those with mild knee flexion and toe-walking but otherwise normal symptoms generally recover before preschool age. Even severely affected children should show improvement with training. There are scientific methods for training walking, grasping, and speaking, along with standardized criteria for evaluating effectiveness. Parents can take their children to specialized cerebral palsy hospitals or rehabilitation centers for a stay, where they can learn from healthcare professionals how to assist with rehabilitation during daily life. If children’s limbs remain in a contracted state due to long-term spasticity or persistent muscle stiffness that hinders training, surgery may be necessary. However, postoperative success depends on strengthening residual muscle strength through additional exercise. Some children may experience spasms before surgery but can stand, yet after surgery, muscle weakness may develop if they haven’t exercised sufficiently, making it difficult for them to stand.