Spasticity
Is There a Cure?
Spasticity is a post-stroke condition that can cause limited coordination and muscle movement and painful muscle spasms in your arms and legs. Stroke survivors identify spasticity as one of the top three most prevalent post-stroke conditions.
Spasticity is stiff or rigid muscles. It may also be called unusual tightness or increased muscle tone. Reflexes (for example, a knee-jerk reflex) are stronger or exaggerated. The condition can interfere with walking, movement, or speech.
Spasticity is usually caused by damage to the part of the brain that is involved in movements under your control. It may also occur from damage to the nerves that go from the brain to the spinal cord.
Symptoms of spasticity include:
Home Care
Exercise, including muscle stretching, can help make your symptoms less severe. Home-based physical therapy is also helpful.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Contact your health care provider if:
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your doctor should perform a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms, including:
Treatment
After determining the cause of your spasticity, the doctor may refer you to a physical therapist. Physical therapy involves different exercises, including muscle stretching and strengthening exercises. Physical therapy exercises can be taught to parents who can then help their child do them at home.
Other treatments may include:
Alternative Names
Muscle stiffness; Hypertonia
References
Dobkin BH. Principles and practices of neurological rehabilitation. In: Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, eds.Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice.
Griggs R, Jozefowicz R, Aminoff M. Approach to the patient with neurologic disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds.Goldman's Cecil Medicine
Spasticity is stiff or rigid muscles. It may also be called unusual tightness or increased muscle tone. Reflexes (for example, a knee-jerk reflex) are stronger or exaggerated. The condition can interfere with walking, movement, or speech.
Spasticity is usually caused by damage to the part of the brain that is involved in movements under your control. It may also occur from damage to the nerves that go from the brain to the spinal cord.
Symptoms of spasticity include:
- Abnormal posture
- Carrying the shoulder, arm, wrist, and finger at an abnormal angle because of muscle tightness
- Exaggerated deep tendon reflexes (the knee-jerk or other reflexes)
- Repetitive jerky motions (clonus), especially when you are touched or moved
- Scissoring (crossing of the legs as the tips of scissors would close)
Home Care
Exercise, including muscle stretching, can help make your symptoms less severe. Home-based physical therapy is also helpful.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Contact your health care provider if:
- The spasticity gets worse
- You notice deformity of the affected areas
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your doctor should perform a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms, including:
- When was it first noticed?
- How long has it lasted?
- Is it always present?
- How severe is it?
- What muscles are affected?
- What makes it better?
- What makes it worse?
- What other symptoms are present?
Treatment
After determining the cause of your spasticity, the doctor may refer you to a physical therapist. Physical therapy involves different exercises, including muscle stretching and strengthening exercises. Physical therapy exercises can be taught to parents who can then help their child do them at home.
Other treatments may include:
- Medicines may be prescribed to treat spasticity. These need to be taken as instructed.
- Botulinum toxin can be injected into the spastic muscles.
- In rare cases, a pump may be inserted into the spinal fluid to directly deliver medicine to the nervous system.
- Sometimes surgery is needed to release the tendon or to cut the nerve-muscle pathway.
Alternative Names
Muscle stiffness; Hypertonia
References
Dobkin BH. Principles and practices of neurological rehabilitation. In: Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, eds.Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice.
Griggs R, Jozefowicz R, Aminoff M. Approach to the patient with neurologic disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds.Goldman's Cecil Medicine