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.