What Do Spasticity Symptoms Feel Like?
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Medical conditions that affect the muscles and the nerves can devastate typical movement patterns and cause unnecessary pain, making it difficult for affected individuals to carry out happy, functional lives. At Aether Medicine, board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician Dr. Asare Christian and his team of medical specialists provide patients with neurotoxin medicine to alleviate symptoms of movement-based and neurological conditions. Their extensive training allows for safe treatment administration and effective results in Wayne, PA.
What is spasticity?
Spasticity refers to atypical tightness due to muscle contractions that last longer than normal. Stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, or other neurological conditions that damage the neural communication between the brain and the body can cause spasticity. Depending on the root cause and location of nerve damage, spasticity can occur in just about any muscle group of the body. At Aether Medicine, Dr. Christian can appropriately diagnose spasticity and recommend appropriate treatment plans to decrease symptoms.
What do spasticity symptoms feel like?
Spasticity can come and go throughout the day, causing mild to intense pain and a limited range of motion in the joints. If symptoms of spasticity are left untreated, joint range shrinks, and pain increases due to muscle atrophy and contractures. When contractures occur, there is a shortening and tightness of affected muscles and tendons, which causes additional chronic pain and complete loss of joint movement.
What is neurotoxin medicine?
Neurotoxin medicine refers to a group of injectable treatments using botulinum toxin products. Some common product names include BOTOX®, Xeomin®, Dysport®, and MYOBLOC®. Neurotoxin medicine is used to relax muscle contractions by inhibiting neural communication to reduce spasms and related pain.
What other conditions can be treated with neurotoxin medicine?
Aside from spasticity, neurotoxin medicine can be used to treat a wide array of medical conditions across the age span, including:
Migraines
Chronic back pain
Failed back syndrome
Excessive sweating
Excessive drooling
Hemifascial spasms
TMJ disorder or temporomandibular joint pain
Focal dystonia
Cervical dystonia or spasmodic torticollis
What is dystonia?
Dystonia is abnormal muscle tone that can cause spasms and negatively impact postural alignment. In cervical dystonia, atypical muscle tone pulls on one side of the neck, resulting in involuntary neck-turning and head-tilting, otherwise known as torticollis. In cases of focal dystonia, which is extremely rare, individuals experience random muscle spasms because of repetitive use or stress to muscle groups. Although there is no cure for focal dystonia, neurotoxin medicine can minimize disruptive symptoms.
What are the benefits of using neurotoxin medicine?
Men, women, and children of any age who live with movement-based or neurological medical conditions can reap the benefits of neurotoxin medicine, some of which include:
Quick and easy treatments
Relatively painless injections
Fast-acting results
Long-lasting treatment results
What are the examination and treatment processes like?
At Aether Medicine, Dr. Christian works with each patient by collecting their personal history and listening to their concerns and goals. After the initial examination and proper diagnosis, Dr. Christian will develop the appropriate neurotoxin medicine treatment plan. Treatment sessions are short, and injections can be administered in as little as ten minutes, depending on the number of treatment areas. Each treatment site is sanitized prior to injection, and patients can return home the same day and resume normal daily activities.
How long will it take to notice results?
Patients may experience temporary redness, tenderness, or swelling after receiving their injections. Depending on the condition being treated and the number of treatment sites, patients may start to notice results within 1 – 2 weeks after their initial session. The usual results may include reduced pain and frequency in muscle spasms.
How often should I get neurotoxin medicine treatments?
Optimal results can last anywhere between 3 – 6 months. Dr. Christian will recommend how often you should receive neurotoxin medicine injections based on your condition and your symptoms.
Learn more about the benefits of neurotoxin medicine
If you reside in or around Wayne, PA, and are living with a medical condition that affects your muscle or nerves, and would like to learn more about the benefits of neurotoxin medicine, call our team at Aether Medicine and schedule an appointment today. Dr. Asare Christian will provide a detailed examination to identify your symptoms and provide recommendations for neurotoxin medicine treatment plans to decrease your symptoms and give you a higher quality of life.