A comprehensive care plan involving sports, physical fitness and strength training is key to helping children with cerebral palsy grow into active adults, according to Jan Brunstrom, a pediatric neurologist at the School of Medicine and director of the Cerebral Palsy Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Not only are athletic activities fun for children, but they can also reduce the need for traditional therapy.
Brunstrom believes sports-based training methods can help achieve positive outlooks for children with cerebral palsy. Read more about these proactive ideas and associated programs in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article.
Sports-based programs can help cerebral palsy patients
(Republished with permission from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This article originally ran in the Health & Fitness section on Monday, July 26, 2004)
By Dr. Jan Brunstrom
There are far too many cases in which very low expectations are set for children with cerebral palsy. We’re on a mission to change that.
As director of the Cerebral Palsy Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and someone who also has cerebral palsy, I know firsthand that the center’s comprehensive approach to care – which includes sports, physical fitness and strength training – helps children with cerebral palsy become independent, active adults, who fully participate in all aspects of life.
Cerebral palsy is a combination of disabilities caused by an injury to the developing brain, usually before birth. It occurs in about two of every 1,000 live births.
Cerebral palsy is a disorder, not a progressive disease. A patient’s condition may deteriorate, but this is primarily because of the lack of proper care and treatment.
Physical fitness is essential for independence in people with cerebral palsy. Chronic pain, fractures, scoliosis and hip dislocation are all side effects of immobility and insufficient types of exercise in these patients.
While traditional therapy has been the predominant method of improving movement, at the CP Center we have found that sports-based training programs offer unique advantages over traditional therapy. Athletic activities such as dance, swimming, basketball and martial arts are often used to help patients reconnect with their bodies. Martial arts training, for instance, helps improve focus and self-discipline through control of movement and power.
Many patients are able to reduce the need for traditional therapy after continuous involvement in sports programs. And these sports activities take place in a fun, healthy environment instead of a health-care facility, sending the message that people with cerebral palsy can be healthy and physically active.
As part of our effort to help change the way cerebral palsy is viewed and treated, the CP Center hosts a sports day camp every year. Camp Independence is designed to offer children ages 7 to 18 with cerebral palsy specialized attention and training in a variety of sports and exercise activities. The programs are designed to challenge campers to increase their activity level, aerobic fitness, strength and balance in a safe, fun and rewarding atmosphere.
The camp offers six one-week sessions Monday through Friday. Activities include swimming, basketball, tennis, martial arts, ice skating, hockey, dancing, track and field, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball and cycling. The cost is $500 a session, and scholarships are available. (This year’s sessions, which wind up Aug. 6, are full.)
All of us at the Cerebral Palsy Center believe that participating in these proactive therapies can help children with cerebral palsy become independent, active adults who are capable of pursuing their dreams and leading fulfilling lives.
To learn more about Camp Independence, or any of the sports programs at the Cerebral Palsy Center, call 314-454-2642, or go to www.stlouischildrens.org.
Dr. Jan Brunstrom is a Washington University pediatric neurologist and director of the Cerebral Palsy Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Copyright 2004 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.