Cerebral palsy (CP) is a broad diagnostic term used to describe a problem with movement and posture that makes certain activities difficult. Although someone who has cerebral palsy may have problems moving his or her muscles, this is not because there is something wrong with the muscles or nerves. These difficulties are caused because of problems in the brain. CP can be the result of an injury to the brain during gestation or in the first year of life, or it occur when the brain does not develop properly during gestation. The injured or abnormal brain is unable to optimally control movement and posture. Simply stated, “cerebral” refers to the brain, and “palsy” refers to muscle weakness and poor control. Although the brain itself will not get worse, people who have CP will usually change over time. Sometimes they will get better, and some patients will stay the same. Occasionally they will get worse, usually because of changing muscle tone or development of joint contractures.