March is cerebral palsy awareness month and Gillette Children’s is one of the best centers in the world for CP care. 

For 125 years the doctors, nurses and employees at Gillette have worked every day to provide the very best care for all children. This dedication has led to treatments and outcomes that have influenced cerebral palsy care worldwide. 

Gillette is a health care destination and we see thousands of patients each year for cerebral palsy care.  

Families come to us because they know our James R. Gage Center for Gait and Motion Analysis is the first-ever to be accredited and is among the world’s best and busiest. Using innovative computer technology, motion analysis captures movements, muscle activity and forces that the eye can’t see. Once a child has their gait and motion analyzed a team of Gillette specialists meet to craft an individualized treatment plan tailored to each child.  

This team is comprised of the best providers. We have one of the largest group of physicians in rehabilitation medicine (PM&R) and the largest group of pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the upper Midwest. These doctors are highly trained and specialize in treating children who have cerebral palsy.  

Gillette was the first hospital in Minnesota to perform selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery to reduce spasticity. We’re experts in single-event multilevel surgery (SEMLS) to help with issues in a child’s muscles, bones and joints. We perform 81% of CP-related orthopedic surgeries in Minnesota and we treat all forms of cerebral palsy—including the most severe. 

Gillette providers are driven to make discoveries to help all people who have cerebral palsy. For example, we designed, developed and patented the Gillette Prone Cart for children recovering from selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery. This is especially helpful to children who had rhizotomy surgery as they begin their six weeks of inpatient rehabilitation therapy. Spending time prone—lying flat on the stomach—can contribute to good surgical outcomes.  

Our post-surgical outcomes are strong, due in part, because we have one of the largest pediatric rehabilitation programs in the Upper Midwest. Gillette is just one of three pediatric specialty programs in Minnesota accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) to meet the needs of young children and adolescents seeking acute inpatient rehabilitation. Our rehab gym is impressive and has cutting-edge technology but our program truly shines because our therapists are experts at making hard work seem like play.  

We also believe in scientific research and in sharing our knowledge with health care providers around the world. Our scientific research is often focused on cerebral palsy-specific topics including; long term treatment outcomes, the effectiveness of medications like botulinum toxin and phenol, intrathecal baclofen pump use and many other on-going studies.  

Cerebral palsy is a complex condition and can affect many parts of the body. We have the best technology to diagnose and treat CP. Our testing includes; MRIs, EOS imaging, neurological assessments, and evaluations and screening at our Gillette Motor Delay Diagnosis and Treatment Clinic.  

Gillette Children's is proud of being a world leader in cerebral palsy care and we’re delighted when we see what our children CAN achieve.