60 percent of survivors have spasticity. Doctors really have no protocols to cure spaticity. I still swear at William M. Landau that spasticity research should not occur after stroke.
Dr. Landau states,"'the
perseverative preoccupation of professional neurologists and therapists
with the purpose of overpowering the spasticity ogre seems to be an
endemic, intractably-taught delusion that afflicts both academic
scholars and clinicians."
http://www.napsnet.com/articles/70026.html
The American Heart Association estimates that there are
nearly seven million stroke survivors in the United States. Sixty percent (n=504)
of stroke survivors live with a debilitating condition known as spasticity.
National Stroke Association and Allergan, Inc. recently conducted a survey
to understand the true impact of this condition on stroke survivors and their
caregivers. According to the findings, 70 percent (n=300) of stroke survivors
living with spasticity and their caregivers rank spasticity as one of the top
three symptoms impacting their life post-stroke, ranking second only to
paralysis. Yet, close to 50 percent of stroke survivors and their caregivers
are unaware of the available treatment options.
Spasticity is a debilitating condition in which the muscles contract and
spasm, causing stiffness and pain. Many stroke survivors who live with the
condition may have upper limb spasticity, which affects the elbow, wrist and
fingers, presenting as a bent wrist with fingers pointing downward, a fist
that stays clenched or a flexed elbow that stays twisted against the chest.
“Spasticity is a disabling condition, but, oftentimes, patients are
either uncomfortable or too overwhelmed to discuss it with their physician.
The focus after someone has experienced a stroke is so commonly on preventing
a second stroke that rehabilitation goals are covered in broad terms. This
can leave patients and their caregivers feeling unprepared for a larger
discussion about the post-stroke symptoms they may be experiencing, including
spasticity. It’s critical that patients and caregivers understand that
even if a person has been experiencing spasticity for years, in many cases,
there are ways to help manage the condition,” said Dr. Elliot J. Roth,
Medical Director of the Patient Recovery Unit and Attending Physician,
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; Professor & Chairman, PM&R,
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Spasticity can occur weeks, months or even years after a stroke, possibly
after a patient has stopped seeing a physician for follow-up care. Spasticity
continues to be underrecognized and inadequately managed.
Although 95 percent (n=780) of physicians surveyed believe spasticity has
a moderate to severe impact on their patients’ lives, approximately 31
percent of neurologists and 27 percent of primary care physicians who treat
stroke survivors focus their efforts on preventing a secondary stroke versus
discussing physical complications like spasticity.
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