Cerebral Palsy and Arthritis

Fact Checked

Cerebral palsy often causes or contributes to secondary conditions. People with cerebral palsy are at risk for arthritis, the pain and stiffness in joints resulting from wear and tear on the cartilage over time. Children with cerebral palsy benefit from preventative strategies, pain management, surgery, and other treatments for arthritis.

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a common joint disease with many forms and can affect many people. There are, in fact, more than 100 types of arthritis.

Arthritis refers to inflammation and pain in the joints, which causes swelling, pain, stiffness, redness, and difficulty moving the joint.[1] It can affect any joint in the body, including the knuckles, elbows, shoulders, hips, and knees.

The most common type of arthritis, which most often affects people with cerebral palsy, is osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis. This is more frequently seen in older adults because it is caused by deterioration in the joint cartilage with time and overuse of joints.

The cartilage provides cushioning within the joint, so when that wears down, the result is pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Risk factors for the development of arthritis include a family history of arthritis, being older, being overweight, and having injured a joint. Another risk factor is having a condition that causes unusual or excessive wear on joints, like cerebral palsy.

The symptoms of arthritis are generally chronic and progressive, and treatment is needed to relieve the pain and swelling and improve joint movement.

How Does Cerebral Palsy Cause Arthritis?

Having cerebral palsy is a risk factor for osteoarthritis, but the degree of risk, which joints are affected, and age of onset vary by individual. As children with CP age and enter adulthood, the risk of developing arthritis increases, according to studies.[2]

People with cerebral palsy have different degrees of abnormalities in the neuromuscular system. These abnormalities may cause unusual movements in the joints, overuse of joints, excessive wear on joint cartilage, and compression of the joints that ultimately lead to osteoarthritis.

Arthritis often begins earlier in someone with cerebral palsy than in the general population, and it is sometimes even seen in children.

The joint or joints affected depend on the type of disability that a person with cerebral palsy has. For instance, for a child who struggles to walk, having a gait that makes the hips or knees move abnormally can lead to arthritis in those joints.

Hip arthritis is relatively common for this reason in people with cerebral palsy. Even joints not involved in walking can be affected. Muscle imbalance across a joint is common in cerebral palsy. This can cause unusual shoulder or elbow joint movements, leading to premature cartilage wear.

Symptoms and Signs of Arthritis

While many people with cerebral palsy will not experience arthritis until they become adults, it is possible to develop it as children. Parents should be aware of the signs of arthritis. Earlier intervention will yield better outcomes.

The symptoms of osteoarthritis in any joint include:[3]

• Pain that occurs during or after movement in the joint
• Stiffness in the joint, often after sleeping or a long period of little movement
• Tenderness when the joint is touched
• Inability to move or flex the joint through a full range
• A feeling of grating or grinding inside a joint when moving
• Hard lumps under the skin around a joint

Treatment for Arthritis

The treatment of arthritis in people of any age with cerebral palsy depends on the individual.

The least invasive types of treatment don’t treat inflammation but help with pain and mobility. These include painkillers, such as over-the-counter acetaminophen, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen.[4]

Treatment can also include physical therapy and gentle exercises that help to strengthen specific muscles and make moving a joint easier and less painful.

When arthritis becomes more severe or debilitating, and these non-invasive treatments provide little relief, more invasive strategies can be used, such as surgery.

It is sometimes possible for a problem causing the abnormal movements or overuse of the joint to be improved with surgery. This is highly variable by the individual.

For advanced cases of arthritis in a joint, replacing the entire joint with an artificial one may relieve pain and restore mobility. Hip replacement surgery is a relatively safe way to treat adults with cerebral palsy who suffer from severe osteoarthritis in the hip joint.

Preventing Arthritis

Many people with cerebral palsy will develop some form of arthritis, and preventing it ultimately may not be possible. However, there are ways to prevent it to some degree, delay its onset, or minimize the damage and symptoms.

The critical step is diagnosing and beginning treatment for cerebral palsy early in childhood. The more comprehensive and consistent treatment a child gets, the better the chances of reducing joint damage over time.

Any early and ongoing treatment that can help children and adults with cerebral palsy move in healthier ways will minimize the development of arthritis. This may mean surgery to correct bone or joint deformities, physical therapy and exercise to develop muscle strength and balance around joints, and mobility aids.

Lifestyle habits can also minimize and prevent arthritis. Maintaining a healthy weight, for instance, can take the pressure off the joints. Occupational therapy is also helpful in promoting the performance of daily tasks in a manner best for the joints.

Arthritis is a painful condition that most people don’t expect to experience until they are elderly. Unfortunately for people with cerebral palsy, the deterioration of joints that causes osteoarthritis begins early in life and is more significant than for other people.

With good overall treatment, watching for early signs of arthritis, and treating pain and other symptoms, a young person with arthritis can continue to enjoy life with improved mobility and minimal pain.