How can I reduce my upper limb spasticity?
Braces or splints hold your muscles and joints in the right position and keep them from getting too tight. OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) and abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport), used for the treatment of upper and lower limb spasticity, can relax muscles and ease spasms.
How do you treat arm spasticity?
Exercise and stretching are important treatments for spasticity. Therapists will work with you to increase your range of motion and help prevent permanent muscle shortening. You need to move the affected limb over and over again, either on your own or with the help of a therapist or a special machine.
What causes upper limb spasticity?
The most common causes leading to spasticity include stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy. This article discusses the pathophysiology and clinical findings associated with each of the most common etiologies of upper extremity spasticity.
How do physical therapists reduce spasticity?
Spasticity can be reduced by:
- Performing stretching exercises daily. Prolonged stretching can make muscles longer, helping to decrease spasticity and prevent contracture.
- Splinting, casting, and bracing. These methods are used to maintain range of motion and flexibility.
What can trigger spasticity?
Spasticity is generally caused by damage or disruption to the area of the brain and spinal cord that are responsible for controlling muscle and stretch reflexes. These disruptions can be due to an imbalance in the inhibitory and excitatory signals sent to the muscles, causing them to lock in place.
Can spasticity go away?
It is caused by damage to the spinal cord that occurs in people with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke or other conditions that affect the brain or spinal cord. In cerebral palsy, the damage isn’t reversible, meaning true spasticity doesn’t go away on its own.
Does spasticity ever go away?
Usually, medical treatment or exercise therapy for spasticity is not a complete cure, so ongoing therapy may be necessary.
Does spasticity get worse?
Spasticity may come and go. It may be worse during certain activities or it may become worse at night. It can interfere with sleep or limit the ability to function. When problems such as these arise, there is more need to consider treating it.
Is heat good for spasticity?
In more persistent injuries like muscle spasms, heat is often the remedy. Applying heat to muscle spasms will help relax the spasm. On an acute injury, like a sprain or fracture where swelling or inflammation is apparent, then ice is usually your first step within 24-36 hours of being injured.
Does stretching help spasticity?
Prolonged passive muscle stretching is a common treatment for people with spasticity CP. Sustained passive muscle stretching for a long duration improves the range of movements, and reduces the spasticity of muscles11, 12).
Can you reverse spasticity?
The key to reversing spasticity permanently is by rewiring the brain through neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity helps dedicate more brain and nerve cells to controlling your affected limbs. In order for this rewiring to occur, you have to repeat effective rehab exercises over and over and over.
What are the exercises for spasticity?
Weight-bearing Exercise If you are able to get your arm or leg (where the spasticity is) in a straightened position, performing weight-bearing exercises is an excellent treatment for spasticity.
What does it mean to have upper limb spasticity?
Upper limb spasticityis a condition that affects the way you move your arms. It makes your muscles stiff and flexed. Sometimes, your arms will twitchor move in a way you can’t control, called a spasm. Spasticity happens after your body’s nervous systemhas been damaged, usually by a stroke, disease, or injury.
What kind of Doctor do you see for upper limb spasticity?
You’ll need to see a neurologist, a specialist who treats problems with the brain and nervous system. She’ll give you a physical exam and test your muscle movement to see how well you can control your arms, elbows, wrists, and hands. She’ll flex your joints to see how limber they are.
Which is the best medicine for upper limb spasticity?
Botox and Dysport have some potentially serious side effects such as breathing and swallowing issues, so make sure to discuss them with your physician. Drugs like clonazepam ( Klonopin ), diazepam ( Valium ), and tizanidine ( Zanaflex) also make your muscles more relaxed. Intrathecal baclofen therapy (ITB).
How are electrodes used for upper limb spasticity?
For this test, you’ll sit or lie down, and a technician will put electrodes on your arms. The electrodes have small needles that go into your muscles, and they’re attached by wires to a machine that can measure the electricity in your muscles and nerves.
