WHAT IS SPASTICITY?
Spasticity is a disorder characterized by the loss of balance between contraction and relaxation of muscles. This entails a state of constant stiffness and involuntary muscle spasms due to minimal stimuli, whether internal or external.
Each muscle has a normal amount of resistance to movement. Muscles that suffer from spasticity are more rigid when a person is active than when they are at rest. However, the spasticity load changes depending on the speed of the movement. That is, moving a joint slowly shows less resistance than if it moves quickly, despite the fact that muscle spasticity is always present.
What are your symptoms?
The milder degrees of spasticity are presented by a feeling of tightness in the muscles. At higher severity levels, muscle stiffness, spasms or sudden body movements can occur. The main drawback of spasticity is that it causes pain or discomfort and interfere with day-to-day activities, being an obstacle to walking, sitting and even sleeping.
Spasticity produces a feeling of heaviness and stiffness in the legs and arms, stiffening of the muscles and even difficulty in walking. The main symptoms are the involuntary and sudden flexions or extensions of any of the limbs, jerks and muscle spasms, difficulty in relaxing the body, inability to control involuntary movements, and in general, muscle and joint pain.
In the case of leg spasticity, the problem fundamentally affects the quadriceps, twins and hip adductors. As for the upper extremities, spasticity has a greater incidence in the flexor muscles of the fingers, wrist, biceps, and shoulder.
Causes of muscle stiffness
The main cause of spasticity is that the normal flow of information-response is interrupted in which the message does not reach the brain or it does not produce an efficient response. Therefore, it is very common in patients with multiple sclerosis.
Spasticity can be caused as a result of brain damage caused by pathologies such as paralysis, trauma or lack of oxygen. That is processes in which the message does not reach the brain or that it does not develop an efficient response. In addition, this disorder may occur when damage occurs as a result of spinal injuries or vascular accidents.
Muscle stiffness may be caused by a variety of substances that stimulate the brain’s spinal cord. It can be caused by tears in the muscle fibers during training, accumulated tensions, stress or food.
Muscle spasticity can also occur when significant injuries and damage to the nerve pathways involved in the control of movement and muscle groups occur
Spasticity treatment
The symptoms of spasticity are tried to soften to prevent major pathologies such as contractures or bone malformations. The approach to this problem must be multidisciplinary, combining in most cases the physical and pharmacological treatment.
Physical treatment is aimed at reducing the symptoms of spasticity and should be supervised by a specialist. The usual muscle stretching activities help improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension. The use of cold and heat contrasts or exercises with weight are beneficial for both flexibility and muscle tone.
Don’t forget to consult a Pediatric Neurologist if your child shows symptoms.
While living in a city like Dubai, it is hard to keep a tab on the nutrition and health of your kids and loved ones, but consulting a good Pediatric Neurologist in Dubai at regular intervals is advised in case of any kind of abnormality arises related to your child’s health, even if it is a cough.
Dr. Aman PS Sohal is a U.K Board-certified Consultant Pediatric Neurologist with over 11 years of experience in Pediatrics which includes more than six years of experience as a Consultant in Pediatric Neurology. Spasticity treatment Dubai
