FROM MY PT SCHOOL NOTES · PEDIATRICS · CHAPTER 07
Cerebral palsy, spasticity and movement analysis
Motor disability is not synonymous with high tone. Examine which factors limit the child's next meaningful movement.
Separate tone, selective control and contracture
The spasticity lecture describes velocity-dependent resistance associated with upper motor neuron injury, but function also depends on weakness, selective motor control, sensation, balance, fixed tissue restriction and the environment. Different movement limitations require different treatment hypotheses.
Observe gait as a whole task
The pediatric gait materials examine gait maturation, stance and swing control, step width, foot contact, alignment and potential lab assessment. A child's walking strategy changes with speed, surface, fatigue, bracing and growth. One joint-angle snapshot cannot define the entire problem.
Choose outcomes with the child
A treatment trial might aim to maintain easier transfers, reduce falls, improve playground access or tolerate longer community mobility. Team decisions on equipment, orthoses, medication and surgery require more information than a simplified lecture rule.
Try a clinical decision
A child with spasticity shows reduced stance time on one limb. Does a tone score alone tell you which treatment will improve walking?
No. Examine pain, strength, selective control, contracture, balance, orthotic alignment and task context. Define the functional outcome before treatment selection.
Original class sources: 9 Spasticity.pdf, Quiz 7 – Pediatric Gait Analysis (Perry, Ch. 16) – 2019.pdf, Lab.pdf, 1 ✅ Chapter 12.pdf
This is a focused summary from personal PT-school notes, not a substitute for medical evaluation, an instructor course or a current clinical guideline.
