Spina bifida: mobility, physical therapy, and the care team, per NINDS and CDC
NINDS says children with myelomeningocele or closed neural tube defects “usually have delays with walking and movement, so a doctor may recommend physical therapy early on.” It lists braces, walkers, crutches, and wheelchairs among the devices some need. CDC points families to spina bifida clinics at children’s hospitals. This page quotes NINDS and CDC only.
Quoted from official pages checked November 12, 2026. Confirm current information on those sites. This page is not medical, legal, or billing advice and does not describe any patient’s care.
Sources read on November 12, 2026: NINDS’s Spina Bifida page (last reviewed on March 13, 2026) and CDC’s Treatments and Management of Spina Bifida page (updated September 4, 2026).
What spina bifida is
NINDS states: “Spina bifida is a birth disorder in which the spine doesn’t fully develop.” It adds that the neural tube “doesn’t close completely and some of the bones of the spine do not close in the back. These openings can occur anywhere along the spine and damage the spinal cord and nerves.”
Mobility and physical therapy
NINDS states: “Some individuals with myelomeningocele or closed neural tube defects may need devices to help them move or walk.” Its list is braces, walkers, crutches, and wheelchairs. It adds: “These children usually have delays with walking and movement, so a doctor may recommend physical therapy early on to improve their strength and function.”
The care team, in CDC’s words
CDC states: “Health issues and treatments for people with spina bifida will be different for each person.” It says a person with spina bifida “will also be checked and treated by doctors who specialize in different parts of the body,” and lists an orthopedist, a urologist, and a neurosurgeon. It adds: “Most children's hospitals have special clinics for babies, children, and sometimes adults with spina bifida.”
On bladder and bowel care, CDC states: “It is important to develop a plan for going to the bathroom that works and is as simple as possible.”
Neither page read names occupational therapy or speech-language pathology, and CDC’s treatment page does not name physical therapy. Those statements cover only these two pages. CDC also points to the Spina Bifida Association’s care guidelines, which were not read for this page.
What this page does not do
It does not repeat the surgery, hydrocephalus, or folic acid sections. It is not medical advice and does not recommend any treatment, medicine, or product. Scope of practice for each profession is set by state law; check your state board.