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Spasticity symptoms can take a toll on a person rather quickly.Spasticity is a condition in which the muscles remain contractedand resist being stretched as they stiffen and tighten. This caneasily affect the person’s speech, how they walk, and other normalmovements.
The cause of spasticity is from damage or disruption in the areaof the spinal cord or the brain that controls the muscle andstretch reflexes.
This condition can be damaging to children as it affects theirjoints and muscles as they grow. A person with cerebral palsy,multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, or a brain injury may havespasticity as well.
What are the Symptoms ofSpasticity?
Spasticity symptoms can vary from person to person. A patientwith mild spasticity symptoms may encounter stiffness or tighteningof their muscles while a patient with more severe spasticitysymptoms could have painful, uncontrollable spasms. Below is a listof spasticity symptoms:
- Muscle and joint deformities
- Muscle fatigue
- Involuntary crossing of the legs
- Inhibition of longitudinal muscle growth
- Inhibition of protein synthesis in musclecells
- Muscle Spasms
- Muscle Stiffness
Muscle spasms due to spasticity can cause painful anduncontrollable contractions while muscle stiffness can causemovements to become less precise and make everyday tasks difficultto do.
Simple tasks such as brushing hair, buttoning up a shirt, ortying shoes can become challenging and uncomfortable to someonesuffering from spasticity symptoms.
Spasticity may also bring about the following complications:
- Frozen joints
- Pressure sores
- Chronic constipation
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
- Fever or other systemic illnesses
Treatments That Help SpasticitySymptoms
There are quite a few options available to help spasticitysymptoms ranging from natural, medication, and surgical, suchas:
Physical therapy - Usually, the firsttreatment option considered for helping spasticity symptoms.Physical therapy focuses on exercises that will help stretch andstrengthen large muscle groups in hopes to improve the person’smobility and range of motion.
- Casting or bracing - Casting or bracingis used to help spasms and tightening of muscles.
- Occupational therapy - While physicaltherapy focuses on large muscle groups, occupational therapyfocuses on small muscle groups to help one’s coordination andstrength. Speech therapy is also available for those who may havetheir speech affected by spasticity.
- Botulinum toxin injections (Botox)- Botox injections target the spastic muscle andparalyze it to keep it from contracting. These injections may lastup to 12 to 16 weeks; however, these injections will cause newnerve endings to form – which can cause the muscle to be unaffectedby the Botox later on. While Botox can help spasticity symptoms,the amount of injections one may receive are limited.
- Oral medications - Medications are usedwith other therapies (or other medications). While a patient isundergoing physical or occupational therapy, they may receive oralmedications as well if their spasticity symptoms affect their dailyfunctions or ability to sleep.
- Intrathecal Baclofen (ITB) Pump - Thispump is placed in the abdomen to release baclofen to the spinalfluid. When compared to taking baclofen orally, this treatmentcomes with fewer side effects but should only be used in severespasticity cases.
- Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) - SDRhelps to balance the electrical signals sent to your spinal cord asspasticity could be caused by an imbalance of these signals. Theway SDR works is by cutting selective nerve roots and is only donefor extreme spasticity in the legs.
Since spasticity symptoms are caused by damage or disruption inthe spinal cord or brain area that controls muscle and stretchreflexes, it would make sense to consider a natural treatment forspasticity that focuses on spinal health and body functions: uppercervical.
Upper Cervical Treatments for SpasticitySymptoms
Upper cervical treatments are different from generalchiropractic adjustments. In the upper cervical, the professionalfocuses on only the upper cervical spine – the neck area.
This area of the spine is extremely important and plays a largerole in how your body functions.
The top of your spine protects your brain stem. This means ifany of the top vertebrae move out of alignment, they can squeezethe brain stem and the pressure may cause your body to undergonegative changes.
The pressure on your brain stem can limit the brain’s oxygen aswell as affect how the brain naturally functions and processesinformation. This misalignment also influences the placement of therest of your spine.
The upper cervical spine plays as a “leader” for the rest ofyour spine. If the upper cervical spine moves out of alignment, therest of the spine begins to shift, twist, and turn itself in orderto keep the head level.
What this does is create complications throughout the body bychanging up your body’s natural position and the possibility ofother vertebrae along your spine to begin pressing against othernerves.
Realigning the upper cervical spine takes the pressure off thebrain stem, allowing the proper brain to body communication whichallows the body to repair and heal itself naturally through theprocess of signals.
If a person is suffering from a brain or spinal injury,correcting this misalignment can allow the body to repair and healthe best it can before medication or surgery is considered. In somecases, patients no longer needed medication or surgery afterundergoing upper cervical treatments for spasticity symptoms.
This is all thanks to the upper cervical treatment’s focus onhelping the body become as strong and healthy as it can naturallybe.
The body already has the ability to heal and repair itself, butif this communication and distribution of signals are disrupted,the body can begin harming itself or lack the proper strength toact as it should.
Since the pressure on the brain stem can weaken your body’snatural response, negatively impact brain health, and weaken muscleand tissue throughout the body, an upper cervical adjustment mayprove to be an optimal option for those looking to relieve theirspasticity symptoms even for patients who have tried surgery.
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