Muscle Spasticity
Muscle spasticity is a condition where muscles remain in a state of continuous or intermittent stiffness, making controlled movement difficult. It happens when the nervous system loses normal inhibitory control over muscle tone, leading to tightness, painful spasms, and reduced range of motion. It is most commonly seen in people living with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, stroke, or cerebral palsy.
Key points
- Spasticity results from damage to brain or spinal-cord motor pathways and differs from a brief local muscle cramp.
- Some tone can support standing or transfers, so treatment aims for function and comfort rather than eliminating tone indiscriminately.
- Sudden worsening often signals pain, infection, constipation, skin injury or another trigger that needs treatment.
A spasticity-medicine listing cannot define the functional goal or safe treatment; neurological cause, strength, triggers and sedating effects matter.
What should assessment consider?
Assessment considers pain, sleep, walking, hygiene, positioning and the risk of contractures. Urinary infection, pressure injury, constipation or poorly fitted equipment can amplify tone. Goals should be agreed before medicine or a procedure is added.
How is spasticity managed?
Baclofen and tizanidine can reduce tone but may worsen weakness or drowsiness; abrupt withdrawal of baclofen can be dangerous. Stretching, positioning, physiotherapy and focal procedures may be more appropriate for some patterns. See pain management for related medicines.
When to seek urgent care
Seek urgent help for rapidly worsening spasms with high fever, confusion, severe rigidity, breathing difficulty, new weakness or loss of bladder or bowel control. Severe symptoms after abruptly stopping baclofen also require emergency care.