Expert Care
Spasticity occurs in many neurological illnesses that affect the central nervous system, including stroke, brain or spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. To assess and treat your patients with spasticity or other tone abnormalities, Memorial Hospital has developed a new service.

Benefits of Spasticity Management

• Lessen pain
• Decrease the frequency of muscle spasm
• Improve gait, hygiene, ability to perform activities of daily living
• Ease care for care givers Experienced staff
• Neurologists with neuromuscular fellowship training
• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists
• Orthotics specialists

Assessment
Our physical and occupational therapists conduct careful baseline assessments. Since spasticity can vary depending on body positioning, therapists ensure a consistent order of muscle evaluation and ongoing assessments to meet treatment objectives.

Physical therapists

• Assess lower limb functioning
• Have expertise in recommending bracing orthotics and wheelchair positioning that allow for improved mobility

Occupational therapists

• Care for patients who have a spastic upper extremity
• May recommend functional orthoses in order to help regain functional independence

Treatment
After the baseline assessment, patients and our team, including a neurologist, will decide on a course of treatment.

Specialty treatments may include:

• Oral medications
• Chemodenervation (example Botox, nerve blocks)
• Intrathecal baclofen

Referring Patients
Identifying appropriate patients
Patients with abnormal tone that interferes with functioning (such as gait, activities of daily living and comfort) will benefit from this service.

Appropriate patients to refer include those with:

• Stroke
• Multiple sclerosis
• Cerebral palsy
• Brain and spinal trauma
• Amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Encephalitis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Huntington’s disease
• Other conditions with abnormal tone may
• benefit as well, including individuals with:
• Parkinson’s disease
• Tremor
• Dystonia

The Spasticity Management team meets with patients twice a month in Memorial’s Neurology and Physical Medicine Departments.

If you have any questions, please call (401) 729-2483.