Expert highlights muscle infiltration to control spasticity after stroke

Juan Vicente Lozano, head of the rehabilitation service at the Morales Meseguer University Hospital in Murcia, emphasized that more and more therapeutic resources are available to control spasticity, “from classic physiotherapy, occupational therapy and orthotics to the possibility of controlling it focally through muscle infiltration.”

“In recent years, neurological rehabilitation processes have undergone great progress, especially in the knowledge of what is known as brain neuroplasticity, that is, the processes by which the brain reorganizes after brain injury,” Lozano emphasized during the presentation of the study. new publication “Spasticity: Consequences No One Expects,” an information campaign about stroke and spasticity, one of the most common consequences in stroke patients.

The campaign was carried out by Ipsen in collaboration with the Ictus Foundation, the Ictus Brake Foundation and the Catalan Association of Traumatic and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TRACE Catalonia). In addition, it is approved by the Spanish Society of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine (SERMEF) and the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) and coincides with the celebration of World Stroke Day on Tuesday, October 29.

The consequences that characterize a stroke are loss of the ability to move voluntarily, the inability to walk and/or the inability to manipulate objects with the hand. “The problem is that the lack of voluntary control is usually accompanied by a process we call spasticity, which is an increase in involuntary tone in the muscles affected by the stroke,” Lozano explained.

This involuntary increase in tone is usually accompanied by stiffness, pain and spasms, which is an important motor consequence that significantly affects the patient’s quality of life.

Spasticity develops gradually and is difficult to treat. Development can take months, so it is important to make an early diagnosis to begin treatment, avoid serious complications, and limit its functional impact without interfering with daily activities.

The main goals of treating spasticity are to improve functionality (gait and general mobility, balance and sitting posture, transfer to a chair or bed), as well as improve the patient’s quality of life and level of well-being (pain relief, improve sleep quality, facilitate care and daily activities, such as hygiene, dressing and feeding, and also make the caregiver’s job easier).

According to experts, it is necessary to have a multidisciplinary team, which will include, among others, medical specialists (rehabilitation doctor, neurologist, geriatrician), nurses, therapists (physiotherapist, occupational therapist) and orthopedists.

ONE MOVE EVERY SIX MINUTES IN SPAIN

In Spain, a stroke occurs every six minutes, making it the leading cause of disability among adults. “A stroke is an event in which there is a disruption of the normal blood flow to an area of ​​our brain (ischemic stroke) or due to the rupture of the brain’s own blood vessels (hemorrhagic stroke). This cerebral ischemia can lead to cerebral infarction and tissue death in that area of ​​the brain,” Lozano said.

“No stroke is alike. It may be more or less intense. It affects one side of the body more than the other. In my case, it affected the right side, and since I was not left-handed, I had to learn to do everything with my left hand,” said Jaume Micola, a patient who suffered a stroke in November 2017, when he was 53 years old.

Moreover, more than 80 percent of strokes can be prevented by controlling modifiable risk factors such as high blood pressure (HBP), tobacco or alcohol use, diabetes, diet, physical inactivity, obesity, etc.