What is spasticity?

Spasticity is a condition in which certain muscles are continuously contracted.  This contraction causes stiffness or tightness of the muscles and also may interfere with gait, speech, and motion.  Spasticity is usually brought on by damage to the part of the brain. The damage causes an alteration in the equilibrium of signs involving the muscles and the system.  This imbalance contributes to greater activity in the muscles. Joints and muscles of the extremities negatively affect and can be harmful to kids that are developing. It is possible to treat Spasticity if you get proper medications along with physiotherapy treatment for spasticity.

Types

Spasticity is a really common symptom of MS. There are two kinds of MS-related spasms: flexor and extensor.  Flexor spasticity is an involuntary bending of their hips or knees (mostly between the hamstring muscles on the back of the upper leg). The hips and knees bend upward toward the torso.  Extensor is a straightening of the legs. Extensor spasticity entails the quadriceps (muscles on the front of the upper leg) and the adductors (inner thigh muscles). Knees and the hips stay with all the legs together or crossed over in the ankles.  Spasticity can also occur in the arms, however, it is not as common in people with MS. Spasticity may worsen because of muscle stiffness or position changes, moves, temperature extremes, humidity or illnesses. Clothes may even trigger it.

Causes

Spasticity is brought on by an imbalance of signs from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) into the muscles.  This imbalance can be found in people with spinal cord trauma, traumatic brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy.  

Symptoms

• Increased muscle tone
• Overactive reflexes
• Involuntary movements, which may include spasms (lively and/or sustained involuntary muscle
• contraction) and clonus (a string of rapid involuntary contractions)      
• Pain
• Reduced operational skills and delayed motor development
• Difficulty with hygiene and care     
• Abnormal posture
• Contractures (a permanent contraction of this muscle and tendon because of intense persistent stiffness and spasms)
• Bone and joint deformities

• Physical Preserve or enhance the range of movement and freedom Treatment is the mainstay of therapy for spasticity and is intended to decrease muscle tone, enhance coordination and strength, and enhance relaxation and maintenance.  Occupational remedies handle the difficulties of living with spasticity, aiming to assist patients and carers deal with or to get freedom, and find answers. Rehabilitation (occupational and physical therapy) and pharmacological spasticity remedies like the injection of botulinum toxin are regarded to operate synergistically as time passes. You should get physiotherapy treatment for spasticity for better recovery.

• Botulinum neurotoxin injections improve spasticity and so may alleviate rehabilitation attempts.  Normally, one botulinum neurotoxin injection’s consequence lasts with a mean of 3 weeks.

• Progressive Resistance Strength Training – No evidence proves that strength training increases in patients with stroke.  Impairment is reduced following resistance training.

• Biofeedback occupational therapy and electric stimulation don’t increase the amount of spasticity.  Additionally, it showed a decrease when compared with patients who conducted occupational therapy and electric stimulation.  

• Shock wave treatment on flexor hypertonic muscles of the forearm and interosseous muscles of the hands in patients with stroke demonstrated a considerable decrease in muscle tone (>3months).   

Amelio reported a significant decrease in muscle tone (>12 months) of plantar flexors in children with cerebral palsy.   

Significant reduction of ankle plantar flexor spasticity in patients with stroke following fifteen 10-minute sessions of continuous ultrasound treatment on a 5-week interval (frequency 1MHz and intensity 1,5 W/cm2).   

• Cryotherapy – Using cold packs (12°C) for 20-minutes can diminish the muscle temperature to decrease spasticity.  

• Electric – Substantial improvement was shown by stimulation with stimulation. Although antagonist stimulation revealed a rise of stretch Ashworth Scores reflex-initiating angle.

Exercises to do if you have Spasticity

• Hip crossovers – The goal of this stretch is to decrease tightness in the hips by stretching and lengthening your hip muscles. Though there are variations of it, the basic idea is to lie on your back and if possible, bend your knees into a 45° angle, pull them together and then gently let both knees slowly rotate to one side, holding the stretch for 30 seconds. Keep your arms to the side (like the letter “T”), palms down. The goal is to stretch your hips, not to force your knees to the floor (in general, never force your body to do any stretch or exercise). Adherence to form is critical, so go slowly over these exercises
• Hip flexor stretch According to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, “The hip flexors are the muscles on the front of your pelvis. They help leg movement when you walk, kick, climb stairs, or stand. When you are in a seated position for long periods, these are the muscles that need a good stretch.”

This is a nice exercise to do because not only does it stretch the hip flexor, it also has a focus on relaxation, something the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of America emphasizes in its approach to managing spasticity, too. You can also do it while lying on your bed! 

• • Lie on your bed on your back so that your knees hang off the edge of the bed.
  • You should feel the stretch in the front of your leg where it attaches to your hip.
  • Hold. Listen to your body to know what an appropriate hold time is for you. Try working up to a 30- to 60-second hold.
• Calf stretch – Place a half foam roller or rolled up towel on the floor, and step on it with the ball of your foot with your heel down on the floor. Step the opposite leg forward keeping the weight on the back foot. This is an extremely intense and effective calf stretching exercise.

• Ankle or heel cord stretch – An easy stretch that requires only a towel and a bed. Here is how to do a good ankle stretch to reduce ankle spasticity that worsens at foot drop.
  
  
  • Sit on the bed or steady chair with back straight.
  • Hang one leg down.
  • Put a towel around the bottom of your active foot, lift the leg and pull on the towel with both hands and hold for 20 –30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

• Foot roll – The feet are the furthest away from the brain, the nerves travel from your feet to the brain and back again to work correctly and hence it has been found that foot problems are the commonest of spasticity problems. Foot rolls using a small rubber ball may lessen spasticity which may improve balance and mobility, especially in foot drop.  Stand on the ball using each foot, while holding onto a chair or some other device for stability, while rolling the ball slowly along each foot, being attentive for spots that seem disengaged.

Based on the type if need, it requires quite a few weeks or even months for you to recover. You are helped by our physiotherapist with exercises which stimulates tissues and the cells that have been injured for aiding recovery.

Physiotherapy for spasticity helps you with stretching exercises and offer recovery programs by the kind of injury, to facilitate recovery. The Physiotherapists will also guide you in educating you to take care of yourself.

Therefore, if you are looking for physiotherapy for spasticity or a good nurse, simply reach out to Care24’s world-class physiotherapy treatment in your home’s comfort.