Children and Adults Living with Cerebral Palsy (CP)
As children with cerebral palsy grow, frequent monitoring is necessary to manage the changing muscular imbalance causing contractures and weakness. Medications, Botox injections, surgical intervention, and bracing are often necessary components in the care of the growing child.
Once a child becomes an adult and frequently ages out of multidisciplinary clinics that are designed for the pediatric age range, an adult with cerebral palsy requires monitoring of contractures, scoliosis, spasticity, gait dysfunction and arthritis. Medications, Botox injections, orthotics and physical therapy may be required on an ongoing basis throughout the lifetime. Customized wheelchairs and back braces may be necessary for severe cases of cerebral palsy.
Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists like Dr. Tabby help to maintain proper body mechanics and treat injuries, allowing patients to return to their daily functioning. The goal of treatment from a physical medicine and rehabilitation perspective is to use physical and occupational therapeutic tailored exercises, topical medication and other modalities to reduce pain and inflammation, along with occasional bracing of joints if necessary.
Dr. Tabby’s Approach to Care
Dr. Tabby embodies the “art of medicine” philosophy, forging strong relationships with her patients built on trust and mutual respect, and practices based on sound scientific knowledge. She cares about developing a strong patient-physician relationship so that patients can feel free to voice new concerns they are having with coping with their CP and communicate openly.
She will take a careful medical history and perform a thorough examination to determine which areas of the body need the most attention at the current time, such as contractures, muscular or spinal problems causing gait imbalance, or arthritis. This will allow her to develop an appropriately personalized multidisciplinary treatment plan based on each patient’s unique presentation.
Easy booking and appointment availability are benefits of working with Dr. Tabby. She encourages all patients to visit her in the office, but for patients with extreme mobility limits, she makes home visits or virtual appointments through HealthTap. Feel free to inquire when speaking with the office staff about all of the available options.
Multidisciplinary Care Coordination and Treatment
Dr. Tabby employs a nonnarcotic treatment method rooted in the judicious use of medications, therefore treatments are more likely to center around “hands on” methods such as topical pain relief, massage, heat or ice application and active participation of the patient to complete recommended therapeutic exercises.
Trigger point injections are used for muscular pain. Botox injections are used to decrease spasticity. Bracing (orthotics) is often used in various stages of growth for children to provide support, and in some cases custom bracing or the use of a wheelchair is necessary in adulthood to provide optimal support for musculature and the spine.
Medications are often a necessary treatment modality for CP, however a multi-disciplinary approach with collaboration between neurologists, surgeons, orthopedists, physical and occupational therapists and other providers also provides a well-rounded, versus just pharmacologic approach. Dr. Tabby supports her patients with cerebral palsy, both young and old, through the various stages of their life and the ongoing medical support they may need.