Why Is Muscle Spasm Rehabilitation Necessary?
Treatment is not a must in muscle spasm rehabilitation. Whether to treat spasm and how to actively apply effective treatment should be decided according to patients’ conditions. Anti-spasm treatment for the purpose of reducing muscle tension is only necessary when movement ability, posture, or comfort are affected to a certain extent by the spasm. Rehabilitation methods include physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychotherapy, and the use of rehabilitation engineering orthotics.
The purposes of spasm rehabilitation are improving movement ability, ADL, and personal hygiene. What’s more, reducing pain and cramps, increasing joint range of motion, and improving orthopedic positions and endurance. Moreover, changing poor postures on the bed or chair as well as eliminating harmful factors, preventing pressure sores, and reducing complications. In addition, avoiding surgery and ultimately improving the quality of life of patients.
Msucle Spasm Rehabilitation Principle
The symptom of spasticity varies greatly in different patients, so the treatment plan must be individualized. The treatment plan (including short-term and long-term ones) should be clearly visible and acceptable to patients and their families.
1. Eliminate the inducing causes of spasm
Spasm can be induced by many reasons, especially for patients who are unconscious, cognitively impaired, and have difficulty in communicating. Common causes include urinary retention or infection, severe constipation, and skin irritation, etc. Sometimes, the deterioration of spasm means potential acute abdomen and lower limb fractures. These inducing causes should be eliminated first especially for patients who cannot accurately express their pain and discomfort.
2. Good posture and correct sitting position
(1) Good posture: Maintaining a good posture can prevent limb spasm. If spasm already exists, a good anti-spasm position can also relieve the condition and avoid deterioration.
(2) Correct sitting position: A correct sitting posture is to maintain the body in a balanced, symmetrical, and stable posture, which is comfortable and can enable maximum body functions. The goal of different types of sitting posture is to keep the pelvis stable, upright, and slightly leaning forward.
3. Physical therapy
Physical therapy includes neurodevelopmental techniques, manual therapy, movement relearning, functional movement training, and physical factor therapy. The main function is to relieve spasm and its pain, prevent joint contractures and deformation, and improve patients’ movement ability. Improving the quality of life of patients with spasm as much as possible.
4. Occupational therapy and psychotherapy
Improve patients’ movement ability in bed and posture transfer, and balance. Improve patients’ gait, ADL, and abilities of family and social participation. Psychological treatment mainly includes health education and psychological guidance for patients, so that patients can rehabilitate as soon as possible.
5. The application of orthotics
The application of orthotics is one of the important treatment methods in spasm rehabilitation. In the case of muscle spasm, orthosis can relieve muscle spasm and pain, prevent and (or) correct deformities, prevent joint contractures, and promote normal movement patterns to a certain extent through continuous stretch of muscles and fixation of bones and joints. Nowadays, there are a variety of orthotics that can fix the spasm limb in the resting or functional position, minimizing the risk of contracture.
6. New technology, VR and robotic training
Rehabilitation robots and new technology equipment can significantly improve the motor function of the upper limbs of patients with brain injury. What’s more, they have a certain effect on reducing spasm risks. Rehabilitation training with VR or robots is a very promising and new rehabilitation training method. With the advancement of science and technology and the deepening of clinical research, VR and robotic rehabilitation will surely play an important role in the field of neurorehabilitation.
In addition to the above rehabilitation treatment methods, there are other medical methods like TCM and surgery.
Post time: Sep-07-2020