Spasticity Related Pain

Muscle tightness and spasm after a neurological condition is often painful — and very treatable. Managing the overactivity and the pain together.

Spasticity is a tightening or stiffening of the muscles caused by changes in the nerve signals between the brain, spinal cord, and muscles. It commonly follows conditions that affect the central nervous system — including stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and acquired brain injury — and it can range from mild tightness to strong, involuntary spasms that interfere with movement, posture, sleep, and care.

Spasticity is frequently painful. The sustained muscle tension, the sudden spasms, and the postures that spasticity forces the body into can all generate pain, and over time they can lead to stiffness in the joints. For many people, the pain of spasticity is as limiting as the stiffness itself — yet it is very treatable, and it responds best to a plan that addresses the muscle overactivity and the pain together.

Our approach is to identify which muscles are involved and how the spasticity is affecting your function and comfort. Depending on your circumstances, this may include botulinum toxin therapy to reduce overactivity in specific muscle groups, medications for muscle overactivity and nerve-related pain, physical therapy and rehabilitation to maintain movement and limit longer-term complications, and coordinated care alongside your GP, rehabilitation team, and other treating specialists.