Neurological Rehabilitation

Spasticity Management

Spasticity is a form of muscle stiffness and/or spasms that may arise in people with a variety of neurological conditions, including stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, or multiple sclerosis. If you or a loved one is suffering from a significant loss of function, reduced movement, and/or pain due to spasticity, the rehabilitation medicine specialists at NewYork-Presbyterian can help.

A team of experts

Your interdisciplinary treatment team includes specialists dedicated to the management of spasticity. A physiatrist (rehabilitation medicine physician) coordinates your care, bringing in the skills of physical and occupational therapists with advanced training in the care of people with neurological disorders. Your care begins with a comprehensive assessment by the physiatrist to assess the impact of spasticity on your function and comfort and to determine what type of treatment would be beneficial.

How do we treat spasticity?

At NewYork-Presbyterian, we offer a full array of spasticity therapies to control your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Your physiatrist will create a program of care that may include one or more of the following approaches:

• Home exercises and stretching
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Serial casting, splinting, and bracing
• Management of your oral medications
• Injections such as botulinum toxin (Botox®) or ethanol nerve blocks
• Intrathecal baclofen pumps: Your physiatrist and a neurosurgeon work together to determine if this is the right treatment for you, and then offer ongoing care for as long as you need it.

We work with you to set goals for your treatment and to help you attain those goals. We’ll match you with the treatments that work best for you and continue to monitor you to ensure you are receiving the most effective care.