Help please! Cerebral Palsy PhysTherapy

Specialties Orthopaedic

Published

Specializes in Home Health, Mental/Behavioral Health.

I need some advice from my fellow nurses. If you have physical therapy/rehab experience even better!!!

Im a home health nurse, ive been with my patient for going on 2 years now. Ive seen her experience alot of discomfort, but lately her pain levels have just been horrid.

She is 27, non ambulatory, her spine has scoliosis with severe lordosis so she spends 75% of her life on her belly, her primary dx is CP, but also has mod-severe brain damage, so her cognitive age is about the equivalent of a 1-2 yr old. Also has very violent temper tantrums regularly, and bcz her pain has been so much worse lately you can only imagine how much worse her frustration level has rose. She also has frequent spasms in different areas of her body that are not seizures, especially in her back, legs and feet/toes.

She has been on the same med regimen for about 7 years now:

AM

-ChloralHydrate

-Benedryl

-Zantac

-Baclofen

-Tylenol PRN

PM

-Tylenol PRN

-IBU PRN

-Phenobarbital

-Baclofen

-Zantac

-ChloralHydrate

-Benedryl

She has a doc appt in 3 weeks.

I love her to death and just want to help her. The only exercise so far that we do and she can tolerate is; 1) stretching/pulling both legs while she is on her stomach 2) bending each leg so the knee is at a 90 degree angle while she is on her back at best maybe x4 each leg.

My main concern/question is are there some other things I can be doing to stretch her legs, help with back spasms and pain...??? And also I will be accompanying the pts mom to her doc appt. Is there anything I need to say? Maybe to the mother... or directly to the doctor? I don't want to step on the mom's toes... HELP!!

THANK YOU!!

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