Cerebral Palsy botox treatment

Youngsters with muscle problems are having botox treatment at Sheffield Children's Hospital
Botox - or Botulinum Toxin - is best known for being injected into the face to reduce frowning patterns and wrinkles in middle-age patients.

But it is now being used to help children with cerebral palsy who have unusual muscle movements.

Injections in muscles around the hip joints is making a 'remarkable' difference by helping children to walk normally and help prevent them needing operations to correct joint problems later on.

Michael Bell, paediatric orthopaedic consultant at Sheffield Children's Hospital, said: "Botox has been used for a number of years in the treatment of inappropriate muscle activity amongst children with cerebral palsy, with remarkable results.

"What we aim to do for this group of patients at Sheffield Children's Hospital, is to carry out muscle treatments in children aged three to four years. This has shown to be much more effective than waiting until children are nine or ten years old."

The treatment prevents some muscles moving inappropriately which can lead to joint problems, while encouraging other muscles to do more work.

"The botox treatments are administered directly into the muscle tissue and work by reducing muscle activity in specific areas injected, and encouraging muscle development in others," added Mr Bell.

Source - Sheffield Today

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