24 Feb Have you been told that your child with Cerebral Palsy may benefit from Botox injections to their tight muscles

Have you been told that your child with Cerebral Palsy may benefit from Botox injections to their tight muscles
Concerned about the side effects of Botox injections for your child with Cerebral Palsy 

Did you know that Botox or botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) has been used for the past 25 years for reducing muscle spasticity in children with Cerebral Palsy? For example, BoNT-A injection of the calf muscle (gastrocnemius muscle) for toe-walking in a child with hemiplegia or diplegia Cerebral Palsy usually has the effect of relaxing the calf muscle to allow an increase in the ankle range of motion, so the child can place their foot down flat to walk. However, studies have shown that improvements in walking patterns are not always achieved and are small in magnitude and short lived from 3-6 months before the muscle spasticity returns. Like all medications, there are some side effects to having BoNT-A injections and research is now showing that BoNT-A injections does not need to be done more often than every 12 months to minimise muscle wasting while maximising the benefits of muscle relaxation.

Further research has also shown that using adjunctive interventions such as serial casting, orthoses, night splints and intensive physiotherapy along with BoNT-A injections to muscles with increased spasticity results in better outcomes. This is why, at My Favourite Physio, when our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists work with children with Cerebral Palsy, we ensure that we communicate with the Children Hospital’s Rehab Teams to plan the timing of BoNT-A injections, serial castings and intensive Physiotherapy, so that each child will gain the maximum benefit from BoNT-A injections. BoNT-A injections is not the only or best options for every child with Cerebral Palsy and should be considered carefully before commencing. 

If you have a child with Cerebral Palsy and you are concerned about BoNT-A injections for your child, ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 to speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists to find out what’s the best options available for your child.