When your muscles are overactive, you may experience persistent stiffness, tingling sensations, and painful symptoms that make regular activities difficult. Multiple Sclerosis and Neurology Institute of Austin is led by neurological experts who use the latest technologies to diagnose spasticity, identify its root cause, and curate a personalized treatment plan to manage symptoms and alleviate pain. Our spasticity specialist in Austin restores optimal functionality without resorting to addictive opioids or complex surgical intervention.
Spasticity FAQs
What is spasticity?
Spasticity is a medical condition wherein overactive muscles lead to stiffness, tingling, and pain. You may experience difficulty in relaxing your muscles, and your reflexes might be overactive. Some patients also experience muscle spasms and involuntary movements, making regular activities hard to manage. Patients with spasticity have trouble maintaining optimal posture and often suffer from low back pain.
What are the symptoms of spasticity?
- Muscle tightness and stiffness
- Muscle pain and discomfort
- Inability to relax muscles
- Overactive reflexes
- Muscle spasms
- Difficulty with joint movements
- Increased muscle activity
- Inability to stand straight
What causes spasticity?
Spasticity occurs when the nerve signals traveling from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles are disrupted. You may experience spasticity because of traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, strokes, or other conditions that disrupt the nerve signals traveling from your brain. Mild spasticity can be managed without medical intervention, but severe symptoms necessitate medical treatments, such as botulinum toxin injections.
How is spasticity diagnosed?
The Multiple Sclerosis and Neurology Institute of Austin performs a thorough evaluation to diagnose the root cause of spasticity. Our spasticity specialist in Austin reviews your medical history and conducts physical examinations to evaluate your range of motion, muscle activities, and arm and leg movements. Our medical experts will also evaluate how you perform daily activities to determine the severity of your condition, which, in turn, will influence the treatment.
What are the treatments for spasticity?
Spasticity affects everyone differently, so your treatment plan is personalized according to your symptoms and condition. Our personalized treatment plan usually includes physical and occupational therapy, oral medications, intrathecal therapy, orthotics, and botulinum toxin injections. Physical therapy can help with range of motion and strengthen your muscles, which is essential in restoring function to your arms and legs. We may administer certain medications to alleviate pain and discomfort.
However, botulinum toxin therapy is one of the most effective treatments for spasticity. Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxin protein that blocks the release of acetylcholine from terminal nerve endings, essentially preventing the nerve endings from communicating with targeted muscles. Injecting botulinum toxin into targeted areas can temporarily paralyze the overactive muscles, which can alleviate the symptoms of spasticity. The results appear within 2 weeks and last for 3 to 4 months, following which you need additional treatments.
Multiple Sclerosis and Neurology Institute’s spasticity specialist in Austin offers a personalized treatment plan that reduces the immediate symptoms of spasticity and the likelihood of future muscle spasms, helping you lead a comfortable life.
