- Main symptoms
- Causes of spasticity
- Degrees of spasticity
- How the treatment is done
- 1. Remedies
- 2. Physiotherapy
- 3. Botox applications
Spasticity is a condition that occurs in an involuntary increase in muscle contraction, which can appear in any muscle, which can make it difficult for the person to do day-to-day activities, such as talking, moving and eating, for example.
This condition occurs because of some damage to the part of the brain or spinal cord that controls voluntary muscle movements, and this damage can be caused by a stroke or be the result of cerebral palsy. However, depending on the brain alteration, spasticity may be milder, affecting a small set of muscles, such as the arm, or if it is more extensive, it may appear in several places, such as the right side of the body.
Spasticity is a chronic condition, that is, it has no cure, but it is possible to reduce symptoms through physical therapy, the use of drugs indicated by the neurologist, such as muscle relaxants, or through localized applications of botox .
Main symptoms
Symptoms of spasticity depend on the severity of the lesions in the brain or spinal cord, but they can appear:
- Involuntary muscle contraction; Difficulty bending the legs or arms; Pain in the affected muscles; Involuntary crossing of the legs; Joint deformities; Muscle spasms.
Because of muscle changes, the person with spasticity may have an incorrect posture, with arms bent, legs and feet stretched and head tilted to one side.
Causes of spasticity
Spasticity can arise in a person with cerebral palsy, because the damage to the brain that happens in these cases affects muscle tone, which is the force that the muscle makes to move, impairing the movements of the arms and legs, for example.
People who have suffered a traumatic brain injury, due to an accident, can develop spasticity, which appears due to injuries to the brain or cerebellum, and this makes the nerve endings unable to send a message for movement of the muscles.
Spasticity is also very common in people with multiple sclerosis, as this autoimmune disease causes an impairment of the nervous system affecting muscle movements. Check out what is multiple sclerosis, symptoms and treatment.
In addition, other conditions that can cause spasticity are encephalitis, severe meningitis, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, phenylketonuria and adrenoleukodystrophy, also known as Lorenzo's disease.
Degrees of spasticity
The degrees of spasticity can be assessed according to the classification scale, called Ashworth:
- Grade 0: the patient does not present muscle contraction; Grade 1: slight muscle contraction; Grade 2: increased muscle contraction, with some resistance to movement; Grade 3: great increase in muscle concentration, with difficulty in bending the limbs; Grade 4: muscle is rigid and unable to move.
With the treatment being carried out daily, the patient can decrease his degree of spasticity little by little.
How the treatment is done
The treatment for spasticity should be guided by a neurologist, as it is necessary to assess the neurological cause that is causing the problem to arise. Options include:
1. Remedies
Usually spasticity remedies are used, such as baclofen or diazepam, which help muscles to relax and relieve pain symptoms, for example. Other remedies that can also be indicated are benzodiazepines, clonidine or tizanidine, which reduce the transmission of stimuli and facilitate muscle relaxation.
2. Physiotherapy
To improve the symptoms of spasticity it is also recommended to do physical therapy to maintain the amplitude of the joints and avoid other complications, such as joint stiffness, due to the lack of use of the affected limb joint.
Physiotherapy in spasticity can be done with the use of:
- Cryotherapy: application of cold to the affected muscles to temporarily reduce the reflex signal that causes the muscle to contract; Heat application: allows temporary relaxation of the muscle, reducing pain; Kinesiotherapy: technique to teach the person to live with spasticity, through exercises or the use of orthoses; Electrical stimulation : stimulation with small electric shocks that help to control muscle contraction.
Physical therapy exercises should be done at least twice a week with a physical therapist and you can do the exercises taught every day at home. This treatment serves to reduce the symptoms of spasticity and facilitate the performance of daily activities.
3. Botox applications
Botox injections, also called botulinum toxin, can be used to decrease muscle stiffness and facilitate joint movement, helping the person to perform daily activities and even physical therapy sessions.
These injections must be indicated by the doctor and act by reducing involuntary muscle contractions, however their action has a determined time, between 4 months to 1 year, being more common to have to resort to a new dose of this substance after 6 months of the first application. Botox can also be indicated to treat spasticity in children. See more other botox applications.
