Spasticity eMedicine PMR

Description: Spasticity (meaning to draw or tug) is involuntary, velocity-dependent, increased muscle tone that results in resistance to movement. The condition may occur secondary to a disorder or trauma, such as a spinal cord injury (SCI), a brain injury, a tumor, a stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), or a peripheral nerve injury. A lag time may exist between injury and spasticity onset, and severity may wax and wane over time. Spasticity may be static or dynamic in nature. Although many therapeutic and medical interventions can attenuate its effects, spasticity can be severely debilitating.
Synonyms and related keywords: hypertonicity, spasm, multiple sclerosis, MS, cerebral palsy, CP, traumatic brain injury, TBI, spinal cord injury
Elizabeth A Moberg-Wolff, MD