What is the treatment for conditions associated with cerebral palsy?

The treatment for conditions associated with cerebral palsy is as follows:

Epilepsy: Twenty to 40 percent of children with mental retardation and cerebral palsy also have epilepsy. Doctors usually prescribe medication to control seizures. The classic medication for this purpose is phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, and valproate. Although these drugs are generally effective in controlling seizures, their use is hampered by harmful or unpleasant side effects.

The treatment for epilepsy has advanced significantly with the development of new medication that has fewer side effects. These drugs include felbamate, gabapentin, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, tiagabine, topiramate, vigabatrin, and zonisamide.

Incontinence: Medical treatment for incontinence includes special exercises, biofeedback, prescription drugs, surgery, and surgically implanted devices to replace or aid muscles. Specially designed absorbent undergarments can also be used to protect against accidental leaks.

Osteopenia: Children with cerebral palsy who aren't able to walk risk developing poor bone density (osteopenia), which makes them more likely to break bones. In a study of older Americans funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a family of drugs called bisphosphonates, which was recently approved by the FDA to treat mineral loss in elderly patients, also appeared to increase bone mineral density. Doctors may choose to selectively prescribe the drug off-label to children to prevent osteopenia.

Pain: Pain can be a problem for people with cerebral palsy due to spastic muscles and the stress and strain on the parts of the body that are compensating for muscle abnormalities. Some individuals may also have frequent and irregular muscle spasms that can't be predicted or medicated in advance.

Some children and adults have been able to decrease pain by using noninvasive and drug-free interventions such as distraction, relaxation training, biofeedback, and therapeutic massage.

This answer is based on source information from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.