Patient's question:
The child is 9 years old and has mild childhood cerebral palsy. His intelligence and physical development are normal, but he has a slight foot-in-step when walking and shows signs of being slightly shorter in one leg. Some doctors suggest surgery, but the family is worried that it might make things worse. Can there be other ways to improve this without surgery? Thank you!Doctor's answer:
This symptom cannot be ruled out as ataxic cerebral palsy, which is primarily characterized by lesions in the pyramidal system and cerebellum, manifesting as involuntary, rhythmic shaking of a part of the body within a single plane. The symptoms of ataxic cerebral palsy mainly, coarse and rhythmic, temporarily suppressed during conscious movement, and are more common in the upper limbs. Sometimes, it presents as action tremor, worsening during movement, accompanied by nystagmus. Pure ataxic cerebral palsy is rare and often coexists with other types.