The parents of a 2-year-old who has cerebral palsy are only now beginning to accept that their child will have a permanent disability. The nurse has been instructing the parents about the treatment for the spasticity their child is experiencing

Question

Which statements by the parents indicate that the nurse should plan additional teaching sessions?
1. "At some point, our child may require surgery to correct this spasticity."
2. "As long as we continue our child's medications, the spasticity can be controlled."
3. "Our physical therapy sessions should focus on flexing our child's muscles."
4. "We should repeat the exercises several times with each muscle group."
5. "It is best to give our child a rest from physical therapy by skipping 1 week a month."

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 2,3,5
Rationale 1: Surgery is sometimes necessary in these cases, so this statement reflects accurate knowledge.
Rationale 2: Medication alone is generally not enough to control spasticity in these children. The parents need additional teaching.
Rationale 3: The physical therapy sessions for spasticity focus on muscle stretching, not flexion. The parents need additional teaching.
Rationale 4: Repetitive motion exercises are beneficial in reducing and controlling spasticity. The parents have expressed accurate knowledge.
Rationale 5: Physical therapy should be routine and consistent in order to reduce or control spasticity. These parents need additional teaching.