Spasticity is a condition in which muscles stay involuntarily tight or overactive due to disrupted communication between the brain and muscles. It often follows a stroke, spinal cord injury, or neurologic disease, and can severely affect your ability to use your arms and hands.
Dr. Lindsay Janes, a skilled plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Chicago, specializes in compassionate, personalized spasticity care. With fellowship training and high-level expertise in hand, nerve, and extremity reconstruction, she’s passionate about helping patients resume their lives with improved comfort and independence.
When to Seek Spasticity Treatment
Spasticity can significantly disrupt daily life, and the condition requires treatment to improve. It’s important to seek treatment if you have muscle stiffness and tightness that causes problems such as:
- Pain or discomfort in affected muscles
- Difficulty opening the hand or extending the fingers
- Clenched fist or curled fingers (flexion deformities)
- Wrist or elbow contractures (frozen joints)
- Reduced range of motion
- Difficulties with daily activities like dressing, eating, or writing
- Challenges in maintaining hygiene, such as cleaning the palms of the hands or under fingernails
- Difficulty using assistive devices like walkers or wheelchairs
- Skin wounds or infections in tightly clenched hands
- Increased risk of injury due to uncontrolled movements
- Embarrassment or emotional distress related to appearance or function
- Spasticity: Nonsurgical Treatment Options
Spasticity: Nonsurgical Treatment Options
Treatment approaches vary with the cause of the spasticity, your symptoms, and other unique factors specific to you.
- Physical Therapy: Stretching and therapeutic movement are important parts of spasticity management. Working with a physical or occupational therapist can improve range of motion and flexibility while helping retrain muscles for more functional movement. However, when spasticity is already advanced or has caused complications, physical therapy alone isn’t enough. If you have surgery, it will be a critical aspect of your recovery.
- Medication: In some cases, oral medications may help reduce muscle overactivity. These may include Baclofen, Tizanidine, and Dantrolene. Medication is typically considered for more widespread spasticity or when localized treatment alone is insufficient.
- Botox Injections: Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) is FDA-approved to treat upper limb spasticity. It helps by temporarily weakening overactive muscles. This, in turn, can alleviate tightness and pain, allowing you to use your hands more effectively. Patients with spasticity typically require follow-up injections every three to four months. While it’s not a permanent solution, Botox injections can be an excellent predictor of how well spasticity surgery could work for you.
- Bracing and Splinting: Braces can help hold muscles in a neutral position and prevent further contractures. However, serial casting and splinting are not recommended for the hand to minimize wrist and finger spasticity. They may be considered for mild to moderate contractures of the elbow and wrist.
If you’ve tried nonsurgical approaches and they’re not providing adequate relief or you’re experiencing spasticity complications, that’s where Dr. Janes comes in.
Surgical Options for Long-Term Spasticity Relief
If spasticity continues to disrupt function or comfort, surgical treatment may be the best next step. Dr. Janes performs procedures including:
- Hyperselective Neurectomy: This surgery involves cutting specific motor nerve branches that cause unwanted muscle contractions, preserving as much normal function as possible. Botox outcomes often help predict success.
- Tendon Lengthening: For patients with shortened tendons and stiff joints, this procedure helps straighten the fingers, wrist, or hand, improving flexibility and use.
- Joint and Bone Procedures: Surgical realignment or fusion may be recommended in cases of severe deformity. These procedures help stabilize the hand or wrist to improve strength, comfort, and hygiene.
Dr. Janes designs each surgical plan around the patient’s needs, drawing on her extensive training in peripheral nerve and reconstructive surgery.
Personalized Spasticity Treatment in Chicago, IL
Living with spasticity doesn’t mean giving up your independence. If you’re ready to take the next step and discuss a long-term surgical solution, elite surgeon Dr. Lindsay E. Janes will guide you every step of the way. Call (312) 695-6022 to schedule your personalized consultation today.