What is spasticity?
Spasticity is a muscle control disorder that is characterized by tight or stiff muscles and an inability to control those muscles. In addition, reflexes might persist for too long and might be too strong (hyperactive reflexes). For example, an infant with a hyperactive grasp reflex might keep his or her hand in a tight fist.
What causes spasticity?
Spasticity is caused by an imbalance of signals from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to the muscles. This imbalance is often found in people with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury.
What are the symptoms of spasticity?
- Increased muscle tone
- Overactive reflexes
- Involuntary movements, which might include spasms (brisk and/or sustained involuntary muscle contraction) and clonus (series of fast involuntary contractions)
- Pain
- Decreased functional abilities and delayed motor (muscular) development
- Difficulty with care and hygiene
- Abnormal posture
- Contractures (permanent contraction of the muscle and tendon due to severe persistent stiffness and spasms)
- Bone and joint deformities
How is spasticity diagnosed?
Your doctor will evaluate your medical history in order to diagnose spasticity. He or she will look at what medicines you have taken and whether you have a history of neurological or muscular disorders in your family.
Several tests can help confirm the diagnosis. These tests evaluate your arm and leg movements, muscular activity, passive and active range of motion, and ability to perform self-care activities.
How is spasticity treated?
Treatment for spasticity might include medicines such as baclofen (Lioresal), tizanidine (Zanaflex), dantrolene sodium (Dantrium), diazepam (Valium), or clonazepam (Klonopin). Physical and occupational therapy programs, involving muscle stretching and range of motion exercises, and sometimes the use of braces, might help prevent tendon shortening. Rehabilitation also might help to reduce or stabilize the severity of symptoms and to improve functional performance. Local injections of phenol or botulinum toxin might be used to relax specific muscles. Surgery might be recommended for tendon release, to cut the nerve-muscle pathway, or to implant a baclofen pump (intrathecal baclofen therapy).
How painful is spasticity?
The pain associated with spasticity can be as mild as a feeling of tightness of muscles, or it can be severe enough to produce painful spasms of extremities, usually the legs. Spasticity also can cause low back pain and result in feelings of pain or tightness in and around joints.
What is the outlook for people with spasticity?
For people who have spasticity, the outlook is different in each case. An individual’s outlook depends on the severity of his or her spasticity and any disorder associated with the spasticity.
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.This document was last reviewed on: 12/7/2004
