Cerebral Palsy (CP) Rehabilitation

Overview

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a condition affecting movement and posture that arises when the developing brain is injured before birth, during birth or in early infancy. It is not a progressive disease; however, the damage to the brain is permanent and may affect the person's movement, muscle tone and posture to varying degrees.

CP follows a different course in each child. While some children have mild movement limitation, others may have more pronounced functional difficulties. A regular, personalized rehabilitation program started in the early period is of great importance in maximizing a child's developmental potential.

Affected Functions

• Muscle tone disorders — spasticity (excessive stiffness) or low tone (floppiness).
• Balance and postural control — difficulty sitting, standing and walking.
• Gross motor skills — delay in large movements such as rolling, crawling and walking.
• Fine motor skills — difficulty using the hand, holding and grasping.
• Coordination disorder — difficulty coordinating movements.
• Joint range limitations — risk of contractures that may develop over time.

Rehabilitation Approach

Cerebral palsy rehabilitation is planned with a neurodevelopmental approach based on the brain's capacity to learn (neuroplasticity). With neurophysiological methods (such as Bobath), correct movement patterns are taught, muscle tone is regulated, and balance and postural control are developed. The aim is to help the child gain functional skills appropriate to their age and potential, to prevent joint limitations and to support independence. The family's active participation in the process greatly influences the outcome.

What We Do

First, our physician evaluates the child's muscle tone, movement skills, balance and functional level in detail and sets the developmental goals. For us, every child is unique; because there is no disease, there is a patient.

Our specialist physiotherapists prepare a fully personalized neurodevelopmental program. Guided by the principles of neurophysiological approaches (such as Bobath), we aim to teach correct movement patterns, manage spasticity and improve postural control. We provide relief for tense muscles through stretching and mobilization techniques and work to prevent joint limitations.

We advance the program with play-based, age-appropriate and functional exercises targeting balance, coordination and gross motor skills. Our goal is to support skills such as sitting, standing and walking to the extent of the child's potential and to increase independence in daily life.

We see the family as the most important part of the process; we arrange a home-specific program and teach the correct positioning and movements that can be applied in daily life. Through regular follow-up and check-ups we update the program according to the child's development, aiming for the best functional outcomes with a patient and holistic approach.