Within a few days or weeks after a stroke some people develop "spasticity" in the part of the body whose mobility was affected by the stroke. But what does spasticity mean, and how does it affect people with stroke?

Spasticity can be described as the constant and unwanted contraction of one or more muscle groups as a result of damage (e.g., stroke) to the brain or the spinal cord. The net effect of spasticity is that the involuntarily contraction of certain muscle groups prevents the normal voluntary movement of the affected body part. For instance, in order to open your hand, your extensor hand muscles must become contracted at the same time that your flexor hand muscles become relaxed. Someone with hand spasticity may not be able to open his hand because its flexor muscles are involuntarily so strongly contracted, that the task becomes impossible.

In fact, hand flexor muscle spasticity might be so strong that it causes the finger nails to break into the skin of the palm! There are multiple treatments for spasticity including muscle relaxants, and botulinum toxin (botox) injections. Talk to your doctor about spasticity and find out what treatment is best for you.

Recommended reading:
Aphasia after stroke
Central pain after stroke
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