WEBSITES THAT FOCUS EXCLUSIVELY ON
CEREBRAL PALSY AND HEALTH ISSUES

E- Medicine & Cerebral Palsy
http://www.emedicinehealth.com

United Cerebral Palsy - Health & Wellness
http://www.ucp.org/ucp_channel.cfm/1/16

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - Cerebral Palsy
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/ddcp.htm

National Institutes of Neurological Disorder & Stroke - Cerebral Palsy: Hope through Research
http://www.ninds.ih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy

Kids Health for Kids - Cerebral Palsy
http://kidshealth.org
(This can be a good resource for the children you know who ask about CP)

Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine is a multidisciplinary scientific society devoted to the study of cerebral palsy and other childhood onset disabilities, to promoting professional education for the treatment and management of these conditions, and to improving the quality of life for people with these disabilities.
http://www.aacpdm.org

Sexuality & Disability - Cerebral Palsy
http://www.sexsupport.org/CPResources.html

WHY DIDN'T THEY JUST ASK US???? The lived body &; experiences from adults with cerebral palsy (Sandström, K) Clinical Rehabilitation, 2007. Vol. 21, No. 5, pp 432-441. Conclusion : Interviews showed the importance for professionals to meet people with cerebral palsy as individual subjects in relation to functional problems, self-image and autonomy together with seeing the consequences of different coping strategies. The health status of women with cerebral palsy. (Turk MA, Geremski CA, Rosenbaum PF, Weber RJ.) Archives Physical Medicine Rehabilitaton. Dec 1997, Vol.78, pp S10-7. Conclusion of article: Women with CP residing in the community perceived themselves as healthy, and the observed health status measures support this concept. Further investigation is warranted for a better understanding of their ramifications in the design of health promotion activities for women with CP. Health Promotion for People With Disabilities: The Emerging Paradigm Shift From Disability Prevention to Prevention of Secondary Conditions (Rimmer, J.) Physical Therapy. May 1999, Vol. 79, No. 5,pp. 495-502. Conclusion of article: A greater emphasis must be placed on community-based health promotion initiatives for people with disabilities. Pain in persons with cerebral palsy. (Schwartz L; Engel JM; Jensen MP) Archives Physical Medicine Rehabilitation. Oct, 1999, Vol. 80(10), pp 1243-6. Conclusion: The data suggest that pain is common in adults with CP. In many subjects, pain levels were moderate to intense. Preparing for the future: aging and alternative and augmentative communication(Balandin S; Morgan J) Augmentative & Alternative Communication. June, 2001, Vol 17( 2), pp. 99-108. Conclusion: The results indicate that those involved in the AAC field must work with individuals who use augmentative communication to ensure that they maintain their health, well-being, and effective communication as they age. Women With Cerebral Palsy and Breast Cancer Screening by Mammography (Poulos, AE; Balandin, S; Llewellyn, G; Dew, A.) Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. February, 2006. Vol 87, (2), pp304-307 Conclusion: Education for health personnel as well as adaptation of the mammographic technique to suit the physical limitations of women with CP are critical to increasing participation and ensuring successful outcomes. Importantly, there is a need to identify women for whom having a mammogram is not an option and for whom alternative breast screening methods should be provided.

READ ABOUT STEM CELL RESEARCH AND OTHER MEDICAL INNOVATIONS...

Stem Cell Transplants Improve Recovery in Animal Models for Stroke, Cerebral Palsy http://www.playfuls.com

Joint-Preserving Operation for Osteoarthrosis of the hip in Adult Cerebral Palsy ANZ Journal of Surgery, Volume 70, Issue 6, pp 431-437, June 2000. A joint-preserving operation was performed on 15 hips with oeoarthrosis, involving 12 patients who had adult cerebral palsy. The research confirmed that usual treatment for osteoarthrosis of the hip was also applicable for osteoarthrosis of the hip in cases of adult cerebral palsy, provided sufficient attention is given to the complications accompanying spastic paralysis.
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com

Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy - up-to-date information about selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), an accepted method for treatment of spastic cerebral palsy (CP).
http://www.stlouischildrens.org

Aging and Cerebral Palsy: The Critical Needs. A Report from the Roundtable on Aging and Cerebral Palsy - On March 6-7, 1997, The Roundtable on Aging and Cerebral Palsy, a group of 18 people with cerebral palsy met in Washington, DC to discuss areas of concern. Building on this discussion, the participants drafted an agenda specifying areas in which research 1) would clarify the impact of aging on adults with cerebral palsy, and 2) suggest changes in technology, therapies and other treatments that would alleviate some of the difficulties associated with aging and disability. An interesting read – what has changed in the past ten years??? http://www.jik.com/awcp.html

Maximizing health in menopausal women with disabilities. (Welner, SL; Simon, JA; Welner, B) Menopause. May 2002, Vol 9(3): pp 208-219.

There are nearly 30 million women with disabilities in the United States. Of these, more than 16 million are over the age of 50. The health needs of women with disabilities might differ from those of other women, special attention should be focused on how physiological changes of perimenopausal and menopausal states affect this population. In addition to functional changes that might affect menopausal women with disabilities, basic health maintenance issues may be adversely affected by environmental factors. Physical barriers can influence compliance with preventive health screening that is essential in aging populations. Treatment options might need to be tailored to the individual. The disabling condition itself may progress, resulting in secondary conditions requiring creative interventions. A comprehensive evaluation and the development of a suitable management plan, which takes into account the multifactorial nature of aging as a disabled woman, are essential in delivering optimal care to this population.

*****************THIS MONTH's QUESTION!****************** How do you feel when those lawyer ads come on decrying the birth of a baby with cerebral palsy? The lawyers spout the money damages they will get for the parents as they blame the doctors for negligence. Are you happy for the families who might get needed financial support that your family might have benefited from? Do you feel like it demeans your value as a person? Are you ambivalent? Send me an email and tell me what you think and I will post your comments here.

Special Issues in Contraception: Caring for Women with Disabilities. (Kaplan, C.) Journal of Midwifery & Womens Health. Nov/Dec 2006, Vol. 51(6):pp 450-456. Women with disabilities make up a diverse population of underserved clients needing skilled, sensitive, and culturally-competent contraceptive care. Barriers to care for these women are structural, attitudinal, and informational, and lack of attention to their needs is also reflected in limited research and clinical guidelines. Special techniques for a modified gynecologic examination can be employed, and disabled women can work in partnership with providers to promote comfort, respect, and safety. There are specific considerations for the use of different contraceptive methods in women with movement limitations, sensory impairments, seizure disorders, developmental disability, and emotional and psychiatric disorders. A climate of welcoming respect as well as clinical expertise in issues specific to this population can enhance the ability to provide contraception to these women. http://www.jmwh.com Just Hop Up, Look Here, Read This, Listen Up, Don't Breathe & Stay Still! Access to Medical Equipment – Where are We? presented by June Kailes on January 4, 2007 http://www.ilru.org The Importance of Accessible Examination Tables http://www.cdihp.org