Eπειδή αυτές τις μέρες υποφέρω κι εγώ με την αλλαγή καιρού ,έκανα λιγο μελέτη στο σπίτι.Μάζεψα τα πιο ουσιώδη. Συγνώμη για τα αγγλικά αλλα δε προκειται να βρω χρόνο για περίληψη.
Εχω σημειώσει τα πιο σημαντικά
αν σας ενδιαφέρει να σας δώσω και ένα κείμενο για τα φάρμακα )
Spasticity is when you cannot really bend or relax your extremities, usually your arms and legs, smoothly, and they become so rigid and you're not being able to move them really freely. We call it like extend or flex, but it's the same movement. It's bending your arm or bending your leg in a really smooth and flexible fashion. And what we see when patients experience spasticity, that the extremities, the legs and the arm become so rigid, almost like this, and they can stay in one motion and not really being able to move. And when you have rigidity and spasticity or stiffness, it can lead to pain sometimes, and sometimes even fatigue, because when it's stiff you have to generate more energy to move the leg, for example. So, again, the cycle motion of it.
>>Kate Milliken: Dr. Bennett what are your thoughts on this? Dr. Susan Bennett:
It's an interruption of the flow of signals along axons that are coming from the brain down to the spinal cord, and this abnormal flow of signals actually turns on neurons in the spinal cord that go and make the muscles stimulate or contract.
So, this abnormal signaling, you know, typically we think about problems with MS of slowness of signaling along the axons. That contributes to weakness. That certainly is a factor in fatigue. In this case we have certain axons that are sending too many signals to specific cells, neurons in the spinal cord, that make the muscle contract and tighten. We see it very commonly in the muscles in the leg that cause the foot and the leg to push down. So, the individual,
when they're walking will have difficulty picking up their toes because the calf muscle is firing excessively, pushing the whole foot down.
SPASTICITY
Spasticity is a widespread and debilitating condition that is associated with some common neurologic disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Spasticity causes certain muscles to continuously contract. It is one of the more common symptoms of MS.
Spasticity can be as mild as the feeling of muscle tightness and cramping, or as severe as painful, uncontrollable spasms, usually in the legs. It also tends to affect one side of the body more than the other.
Common symptoms of spasticity can include:
Increased muscle tone
Muscle tightness and/or stiffness
Pain
Overactive reflexes
Involuntary movements, which may include spasms (brisk and/or sustained involuntary muscle contraction) and clonus (series of fast involuntary contractions)
Decreased functional abilities
Abnormal posture
Contractures (permanent contraction of the muscle and tendon due to severe persistent stiffness and spasms)
Bone and joint deformities
As with other MS-related conditions, spasticity tends to come and go and can be triggered by sudden movements, temperature changes, humidity, infections, or even tight clothing.
It is estimated that more than 80% of MS patients have spasticity. Spasticity can lead to serious complications if not treated. Treatment can include medication, exercise, or changes in daily activities. There are different medications available that can be taken orally, intravenously, or delivered into the spinal fluid. Physical therapy, like exercising, can help prevent painful and disabling complications to the hips, knees, ankles, shoulder, and elbows. There are also devices that can help assist with daily activities that might be made more difficult by spasticity.
>>Dr. Susan Bennett: In spasticity, when we can't manage it enough, and I'll say one other thing that we would offer, and this was kind of an interesting find.
If you think about it, if a muscle was spastic and it's contracting all the time, it doesn't get because lactic acid starts to accumulate in the muscle, just like you'd get, remember the runner's shin splints. So, that would be the combination there.
Biking, stationary bike seems to be, for the lower extremities, the most effective because you're causing the muscles to shorten and lengthen, shorten and lengthen, and it's a great way to restore the blood supply, the oxygen glucose that the muscles need to fire, and get that lactic acid out of there.
