Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2013 13:08:56 GMT -8
What is spasticity?
Spasticity is the uncontrolled tightening or contracting of the muscles that is common in individuals with spinal cord injuries. About 65%–78% of the SCI population have some amount of spasticity, and it is more common in cervical (neck) than thoracic (chest) and lumbar (lower back) injuries .
Symptoms and severity of spasticity vary from person to person and can include:
Sudden, involuntary flexing (bending) or extending (straightening) of a limb, or jerking of muscle groups such as in the trunk (chest, back, and abdomen), bladder, or rectum.
Hyperactive (overactive) reflexes, such as a muscle spasm when you are lightly touched.
Stiff or tight muscles at rest, so that it is difficult to relax or stretch your
muscles.
Muscle tightness during activity, making it difficult for you to control your movement.
What causes spasticity?
The nerves of the spinal cord and brain form a complex communication circuit that controls our body movements. Information on sensations or processes such as touch, movement or muscle stretch is sent up the spinal cord to the brain.
In response, the brain interprets the signal and sends the necessary commands back down the spinal cord to tell your body how to react.
The reaction of the body, such as jerking away from a hot object, is a reflex and happens quickly and automatically.
After a spinal cord injury, the normal flow of signals is disrupted, and the message does not reach the brain. Instead, the signals are sent back to the motor cells in the spinal cord and cause a reflex muscle spasm. This can result in a twitch, jerk or stiffening of the muscle.
Just about any touch, movement or irritation can trigger and sustain spasms
