Why does treating spasticity matter?
Spasticity is not always harmful. Patients with a combination of muscle weakness and spasticity may rely on the increased tone to maintain their posture and aid standing or walking. There are patients with spasticity who need little or no treatment. However, muscle tone may change over time and therefore requires repeated assessment and management.
For some patients spasticity can be painful, distressing, and a potentially costly cause of disability. Secondary complications arising from spasticity include impaired movement, hygiene, self-care, poor self-esteem, body image, pain and pressure ulcers (see Table 3). These may be distressing for the patient and difficult to manage for involved carers and health professionals. In some cases they may interfere with rehabilitation and can increase the cost of this and longer-term care over time. For example the direct cost of healing a pressure ulcer (Grade 4) has been estimated at £10,551 over the period of healing (Bennett et al 2004). Successful treatment can improve physical functioning and can also prevent secondary complications (Boyd et al 2000).