Child spasticity can improve with THC according to a pilot study

A pilot study conducted in Germany has found evidence that the THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis) can be helpful in cases of child spasticity. With the spasticity, some muscles of the body are permanently contracted, causing the appearance of stiffness and involuntary movements.

Researchers at the University of Dusseldorf administered an oily solution of THC to a group of 16 children with ages 1 to 26 years, suffering from spasticity resistant to other treatments. Patients were treated between 2010 and 2015 with doses of THC and variable treatment duration as appropriate.

Despite the small size of the study, the results were positive and indicate that cannabis may be an effective remedy. “Most paediatric palliative patients showed promising effects on spasticity resistant to treatment”, the researchers concluded.

Spasticity is a nervous system disorder that manifests with involuntary muscle contraction. His appearance is often related to trauma or disease affecting the brain or spinal cord. People who suffer from it can have difficulty sustaining activities such as speech, balance or swallowing.

Brazil performs symposium of spasticity for professionals and students

After suffering a stroke at 26 years old, H. Cardoso began to face a little known illness, but that affects many people with disabilities: spasticity.

This disease is related to an injury of the central nervous system, affecting both children born with cerebral palsy, for example, and adults suffering from head trauma in an accident or a stroke.

Spasticity causes the hardening of the muscles and involuntary contractions with muscle spasms. H. Cardoso had the fingers of his right foot deformed and the stiffening of the right elbow as he could not move his arm. “I suffer with spasticity in my right hand five years ago and I'm already going for my third surgery”, he says.

But H. Cardoso celebrates some progress. “Before, my right hand was completely closed, now it is already open. I'm also getting out of the wheelchair to take some steps, even if slowly”, he adds.

According to the physiotherapist neurofuncionnal Leonardo Raphael, spasticity causes disturbing pictures. “There are cases of people who have to sleep tied to not fall out of bed, because of the involuntary contractions caused by spasticity”, he explains.

By also cause hardening of the muscles, the disease hinders the development of children, in locomotion, in carrying out activities of daily life, such as cleaning and feeding, and especially in the treatment of these people.

It is on this that the Center for Integrated Rehabilitation of Piauí (Brazil) is promoting the First Symposium of Spasticity. “We want to bring out, within the scientific community, how much spasticity limits the disabled person in their quality of life and their treatment.”

Leonardo also agrees: “We will discuss from the basics of spasticity to the most modern treatments, as we often strive for results with the patient that are not achieved because of spasticity.”

The original news are here.

What is spasticity? What are the possible treatments?

What is spasticity? Why can it affect the stroke survivors? What causes spasticity? What can its effects be? What are the possible treatments?

The answers are in this animated video produced by the “National Stroke Association” (USA)!

Spasticity: how to control the muscles

A very interesting text discovered in an Italian blog, and adapted by me.

Many people (stroke survivors, with multiple sclerosis, and others cerebral diseases) have muscle stiffness and spasms, a condition called spasticity. It happens especially in the leg and arm muscles, and can keep them from moving their limbs freely.

Spasticity happens due to an imbalance in the electrical signals from the brain and spinal cord, frequently when nerves have been damaged there. This irregularity makes the muscles contract themselves and turns them tense.

The condition can worsen when it's too hot or cold, when you have an infection, or if you are wearing tight clothing.

Physical therapy, medication, surgery, or a combination of these treatments may relieve spasticity. To decide the best way to help you, your doctors will think about your overall health, how severe the symptoms are, and, most of the time, a therapist begins treatment of spasticity with a basic stretching program. The goal is to stretch the muscles to relieve the condition.

An occupational therapist can recommend several tools, such as splints, moulds, or braces, to maintain your range of motion and flexibility.

If the physical therapy and occupational do not help, your doctor may decide to try drugs.

Text translated and adapted from the blog Orlando.

Fight to overcome spasticity helped with injections of botulinum toxin!

I recently found an article about the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections for the treatment of spasticity. This article is really encouraging and shows that with the correct treatment stroke survivors can overcome spasticity. Please see below for more details.
Jonathan suffered a serious brain injury six years ago, leaving him quadriplegic. With support of people like his mother, and hard-working healthcare professionals, the now 33-year-old made progress, but still suffered from muscle tightness and rigidity. His hands would clench so tightly, his nails would dig into the palms, the was difficult for nurses and painful for Jonathan. Physiotherapy was a key part of his care and recovery. 
Spasticity can be caused by strokes, as well as spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and a variety of other neurological illnesses. Those who have strokes may suffer weakness, but also stiffness that results in paralysis, such as when hands become clinched and cannot move, or knees become locked in place and interfere with walking. The condition may make it difficult for patients to tend to their personal hygiene, or for nursing home staff to change their dressing.

Injections of botulinum toxin, have proven to be an effective treatment for the condition when used as part of a multidisciplinary approach including physiotherapy.

Jonathan is one of several patients to receive relief, however, through injections of botulinum toxin, an effective treatment for limb spasticity, a painful and debilitating condition affecting the muscles and joints.
“What we try to do is loosen the joints so they have greater range of motion and it's less painful” said Mirsattari, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist. “Spasticity is traditionally treated with medications or with surgery. The medications tend to have a lot of side effects and are not well tolerated and with surgeries, you have to cut the muscle to release them from the tension they have.” Botulinum toxin is an alternative where, instead of cutting the muscle or instead of taking a pill by mouth, you are injecting the muscle at the site of the problem, so you isolate the muscles that are the source of the problem and determine which ones are contributing to the abnormal posture and treat them locally, with a local injection into those muscles.
This is part of the spasticity treatment; by itself, it won't accomplish all the objectives. You still need physiotherapy, occupational therapy, range-of-motion exercises, nursing care, or medications if they are partially working, but not fully effective.
“There's always a functional gain. Either there’s pain relief or they have a reduction in a tremor or the hand that was tightly fisted that's putting fingernails into the palm print, there's relief, so now you can give good care and a good stretch. Even tight shoulders, tight arms can affect getting a shirt on effectively, tight legs make it impossible to do good hygiene and to be able to dress properly, ankle issues can impact gait - we always have a functional goal. It's not just for good looks and it's not just to relax - there's always a purpose in mind.”

For more information please click this link.

New Study Underway: Shock waves for stroke survivors with spasticity

The Galician Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine have been awarded a prize for their pioneering scientific work conducted at the University Hospital of Vigo (Spain).
The work awarded best scientific poster of the year has been presented by Dr. Antonio Lopez Moya and consists of a study which was devised in the hospital Meixoeiro, but also had the collaboration of other hospitals in Spain.
The aim of the study is to test the behaviour of patients who have suffered a stroke and who experience spasticity or stiffness in the body if they apply shock waves.*
In the tests the patient's progress is measured before and after the treatment with waves at specific muscles such as the lower limbs. If the results are good further research will investigate other body locations. Work is still underway so the results of the investigation which is expected to be presented at the national congress are not yet know. 
Please click this link to find out more information about the project.

* During shock wave therapy, an acoustic wave of high energy is transported to points, fibrosis and tender musculoskeletal tissues. This process results in a number of beneficial effects, such as increased neovascularization, chronic inflammation reversal, collagen stimulation and calcification solution fibroblasts.

North-America: Advocates Join Forces to Fight Spasticity!

Last June in America a website was developed which is dedicated to providing information and resources to help raise awareness about spasticity. 

The National Stroke Association has brought together advocacy organizations in a Spasticity Alliance, the organisations involved include the Brain Injury Association of America, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, United Cerebral Palsy and United Spinal Association.

The Spasticity Alliance web site aims to:

• Provide a clearinghouse of best-of-class patient educational tools and resources
• Act as the go-to source for spasticity-related conditions
• Increase awareness of spasticity
• Address the onset of spasticity and its symptoms
• Offer management options which can include a combination of medications and therapies
• Empower patients and caregivers to discuss their symptoms with their healthcare professionals
• Build a strong alliance of patient advocacy organizations to create a united voice for spasticity messaging, tools and resources.

You can read all the news here, and visit www.spasticityalliance.org to learn more!

The Infographic is very interesting, which you can find on their website (http://www.spasticityalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Spasticity-Infographic-web.pdf) or here!