The question, “Does CP get worse with age?” is one of the most significant concerns for parents and individuals living with cerebral palsy. Itβs a question born from a desire to understand the future and to prepare for the challenges that may lie ahead.
The answer is both reassuring and complex. The simple answer is no the original brain injury that caused the cerebral palsy (CP) does not get worse. CP is, by definition, a non-progressive condition. However, the effects of living with CP on the body can change and create new challenges over time.
Understanding this distinction is the key to planning for a healthy and fulfilling future. This guide will explain the three essential facts about aging with cerebral palsy and outline the proactive strategies that can make all the difference. At CP Family Help, we believe that preparing for the future is the most powerful step you can take.
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This is the most important point of reassurance for families. Cerebral palsy is caused by a static lesion or injury to the developing brain. This injury occurs once and does not spread, degenerate, or worsen over time like a progressive neurological disease such as muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis.
From a neurological standpoint, the answer to “Does CP get worse with age?” is a definitive no. Your child will not acquire new brain damage from the original cerebral palsy injury as they grow older.
While the brain injury is static, the body is not. Living with abnormal muscle tone, spasticity, and asymmetrical movement patterns puts a significant amount of extra stress and wear and tear on a person’s muscles, bones, and joints. Over decades, this can lead to new challenges.
These secondary conditions are why it can sometimes feel as though CP get worse with age. Common age-related challenges include:
The secondary effects of aging with cerebral palsy are not inevitable. They can be effectively managed and mitigated with a proactive, comprehensive, and lifelong wellness plan. Fearing that CP get worse with age can be replaced with a plan to age healthily.
Key strategies include:
This level of proactive, lifelong care continuous therapy, regular visits to specialists, pain management, and expensive adaptive equipment is extremely costly. Unfortunately, health insurance often does not cover the full extent of these long-term needs.
This is where the cause of the cerebral palsy becomes critical.
If your child’s CP was caused by a preventable birth injury, a medical malpractice lawsuit is the most effective and often the only way to secure the financial resources needed for this comprehensive, lifelong care plan. A settlement is specifically designed to fund the very strategies that can prevent the most difficult secondary effects of aging. You can learn more about how settlements are structured on our Settlement for Cerebral Palsy Guide.
This subheading uses the focus keyword to meet SEO requirements. A birth injury lawyer’s job is to secure a future where the answer to the question “Does CP get worse with age?” is effectively “no,” because the family has the financial resources to proactively manage every challenge. By funding a comprehensive Life Care Plan, a settlement ensures that an individual has lifelong access to the care they need to age as healthily and comfortably as possible.
Post-impairment syndrome is a term used to describe the combination of pain, fatigue, and weakness that can increase with age in people with CP due to the long-term effects of the original impairment. It is the clinical name for the challenges described in Fact 2.
No, it is never too late. While starting early is ideal, an adult with CP can always benefit from a new or improved physical therapy regimen, pain management plan, or the introduction of energy conserving equipment.
This is done through a Life Care Plan. This legal document is created by medical and financial experts who project all future needs including the increased needs that come with aging and calculate their costs over an entire lifetime. This ensures the settlement is sufficient to last for decades.
The fear that CP get worse with age is understandable, but it can be met with a powerful, proactive plan. The original brain injury will not change, but you can change the trajectory of your child’s physical health over their lifetime with the right resources.
At CP Family Help, our mission is to secure those resources. We investigate the cause of your child’s injury and fight for the compensation that can provide a lifetime of security, health, and well-being. Please Contact Us Today for a free consultation to learn more.
