Spasticity Management: Clinical Applications
Presented by Andrea Ecsedy
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This course will provide the practitioner with clear definitions of hypertonicity and upper motor neuron syndrome. Evidence in support of specific interventions will be presented, as well as negative evidence for commonly used treatment strategies to manage spasticity. Several spasticity measurement scales will be presented, in addition to clinical decision-making and treatment selection strategies.
Meet your instructor
Andrea Ecsedy
Andrea Ecsedy, PT, DPT, NCS, currently works for SavaSeniorCare Consulting, LLC, as the national director of evidence-based practice. Dr. Ecsedy has 33 years of clinical experience and has been a board-certified neurological clinical specialist for 25 years. Her clinical focus has been in the areas of balance and vestibular…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Spasticity Defined
The chapter will cover the evolution of the definition of spasticity and what the present consensus is on how to classify and define this impairment. Video examples of different types of hypertonicity will be presented, as well as the difference between these clinical presentations.
2. Clinical Scales
This chapter will review several clinical scales that are validated and recommended for measuring spasticity. How tone is affected by posture will also be covered and special tests suggested. Differentiation between contracture and rigidity will be discussed and video examples presented. Advantages and disadvantages of spasticity will be reviewed, followed by a brief discussion of how to determine whether it should or should not be addressed.
3. Interventions for Spasticity and Evidence on Spasticity Management
General, focal, reversible, and permanent interventions will be discussed in detail, as well as advantages and disadvantages of each option. Evidence supporting or refuting different interventions to include oral medications, injection therapies, intrathecal baclofen, and surgery will also be presented.
4. ICF Model, Treatment Recommendations, and Neuroplasticity
This chapter will outline a decision-making framework for the interventions discussed in the previous chapter. How this all relates to the ICF model is presented. Neuroplasticity research and how appropriate timing of treatment for spasticity falls in line with the evidence in the area of neurological recovery will also be covered.
