Spasticity: Predictive Factors, Treatment, and Management - NSA article

A totally useless article  from the NSA and StrokeSmart magazine. No research backing anything up.
http://www.strokesmart.org/living-with-spasticity#.Vl318SoJ408.facebook
Post-stroke spasticity can have a significant impact on a survivor’s quality of life, but its effects can be minimized through early identification, treatment, and lifestyle accommodations.

What is Spasticity?

Damage to the brain after a stroke can sometimes block messages between the brain and muscles, causing muscles to involuntarily contract and tighten. This makes stretching the muscle much more difficult.
Spasticity in the arm can cause a tight fist, bent elbow, and arm pressed against the chest. Spasticity in the leg can cause a stiff knee, pointed foot, and curling toes.
Someone with spasticity may have difficulty performing daily tasks, have to limit activities, and experience pain. Left untreated, muscles can freeze permanently into an abnormal position.(Use the correct term - contracture)

Early Intervention

Onset of spasticity isn’t always immediate. Because early intervention can result in better outcomes(What intervention is that?), it’s important to identify those stroke survivors that are at risk for developing spasticity.
Factors that can predict spasticity include:

• Increased muscle tone
• Paresis (partial loss or weakness of voluntary movement)
• Hemihypesthesia (reduced sensitivity on one side of the body)
• Hemispasticity (weakness or paralysis of entire one side of the body)
• Low scores on functionality assessments

Stroke duration, gender, and age are not considered factors.

Treatment Options

If you have been diagnosed with spasticity, treatment will depend primarily on your goals and the areas affected. Physical activity, including stretching, strengthening exercises, and reposition of affected limbs, to keep muscles mobile is one of the best treatments.
Other treatment options are:

• Medications that serve as muscle relaxers to help improve mobility
• Braces to hold muscles in position(Peter Levine has proven this is wrong)
• Injections also help relax muscles
• Intrathecal baclofen therapy (a spinal implant that releases baclofen)

Surgery may be an option in extreme cases where no other treatments are proving successful or those cases where tendons have tightened and need to be lengthened.

Managing Spasticity

Living with spasticity can be a challenge because it limits your ability to move and perform daily activities. The most obvious steps you can take to minimize its affects is to work closely with your doctor(really? they know nothing) and to stick to your treatment plan. Participate in physical therapy if recommended, take your medications, and wear prescribed braces.
Home modifications can make daily tasks safer and easier. Consider adding ramps, grab bars, raised toilet seats, shower or tub bench, and plastic adhesive strips to the bottom of the bathtub. Canes, walkers, and wheelchairs can make getting around safer and easier.

Check out National Stroke Association's animated short video on spasticity.