Spasticity

Spasticity is a condition in which muscles are continually contracted. This leads to stiffness of the muscles that can interfere with movement, speech, and walking. It is usually caused by injury to the part of the brain or spinal cord that controls voluntary muscles. Many things can damage these areas including:

Spinal cord injury from accidents, tumors, or infections
Multiple sclerosis
Cerebral palsy
Strokes
Brain tumors
Head injuries
Metabolic diseases
Lack of oxygen to the brain from any cause

Symptoms

Symptoms of spasticity vary widely, depending on what part of the brain or spinal cord is affected and how severe the damage is. They can include:

Increased muscle tone
Overactive reflexes
Pain from the constant contraction
Developmental delays
Inability to walk
Inability to do activities of daily living such as feed, bathe, dress, or otherwise care for yourself
Abnormal posture
Contractures: permanent muscle and tendon contraction
Orthopaedic abnormalities

Damage

The damage to the brain and spinal cord cannot be repaired but treatments for spasticity do exist. They include:

Medications such as Baclofen and Zanaflex to relax muscles
Botulinum toxin injections into the spastic muscles to relax them
Surgery to lengthen a contracted tendon
Baclofen pump: A device implanted in the lower abdomen witha small tube threaded into the fluid around the spine-this suppresses the control of the spine over muscles leading to muscle relaxation
Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapies