SPASTICITY

Course overview

SPASTICITY, WHICH IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS TIGHTNESS OR STIFFNESS, IS A MOTOR DISORDER MARKED BY A VELOCITY-DEPENDENT INCREASE IN MUSCLE TONE OR TONIC STRETCH REFLEXES ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTONIA. THE PRESENTATION OF SPASTICITY IS VARIABLE. IN SOME CASES, MANIFESTATIONS ARE SUBTLE, AND IN OTHERS, MUSCLE TONE IS INCREASED TO THE POINT THAT JOINTS BECOME IMMOBILIZED. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SPASTICITY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF TEAM-BASED INTERPROFESSIONAL CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.