RT Book, Section
A1 Saulino, Michael
A1 Goldman, Liat
A2 Maitin, Ian B.
A2 Cruz, Ernesto
SR Print(0)
ID 1105127018
T1 Spasticity
T2 CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
YR 2015
FD 2015
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071793292
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1105127018
RD 2024/04/23
AB Spasticity  is  a  commonly  encountered  condition  that  can  have  a  devastating  impact  on  affected  patients.  Lance  described  it  as  “a  motor  disorder  characterized  by  a  velocity-dependent  increase  in  tonic  stretch  reflexes  with  exaggerated  tendon  reflexes,  resulting  from  excitability  of  the  stretch  reflex.”  It  can  also  be  defined  as  the  constant  and  unwanted  contractions  of  one  or  more  muscle  groups  as  a  result  of  an  injury  or  insult  to  the  brain  or  spinal  cord.  The  condition  can  be  mild,  with  patients  experiencing  only  minor  discomfort  or  inconvenience,  or  major,  with  the  spasticity  leading  to  immobility  and  the  development  of  contractures  and  pressure  sores.  However,  clinicians  must  use  caution  when  applying  such  descriptors  of  severity  to  muscle  overactivity  so  as  not  to  misrepresent  their  clinical  impact  to  the  patient.  For  example,  relatively  slight  resistance  to  passive  motion,  evaluated  as  “mild”  by  a  physician,  may  have  a  quite  significant  functional  impact  for  a  patient,  who  might  describe  the  same  phenomenon  as  “severe.”  Even  mild  degrees  of  spasticity  can  impair  the  ability  to  perform  basic  activities  of  daily  living,  including  hygiene,  dressing,  and  toileting.  In  addition,  spasms  associated  with  spasticity  can  cause  pain,  interrupt  sleep,  negatively  influence  mood,  and  impair  mobility.