Spasticity and contracture are complications that often result from neurological injury cause mobility disorders. They occur when electrical messages from the brain don't coordinate muscles correctly. Muscles move joints; for each muscle, there is a “gas pedal” and a “brake” on each side to extend or contract. Sometimes with brain injury, the messages are disrupted and cause one side of the muscle to be over stimulated. This “frayed wire” interrupts the “electrical conduction” and affects the control of muscle movement. If the correct neurological message isn't given to them, muscles can overreact. Spasticity is an increase in the normal reactivity of muscles, leading to unequal forces on the joints. It can create contracture–fixed muscle shortening. When this happens, arms and legs stiffen and “freeze” in one position.

We successfully treat a wide range of upper-and lower-limb conditions, including:

• Adducted/internally rotated shoulder
• Clenched-fist and thumb-in-palm deformity
• Bent-elbow deformity
• Stiff-knee gait
• Scissoring gait
• Walking problems due to abnormal postures of the foot
• Heterotopic ossification

Choosing the best treatment option for each patient is a function of medical teamwork, with the patient’s symptoms comprehensively evaluated by an assessment team including a doctor specializing in rehabilitation, a neuro-orthopedic specialist, physical and occupational therapists, a nurse and a social worker and, when needed, an orthotist.

Patients and their caregivers are the most important members of the team, as they help identify the problems and treatment goals that help determine the interventions. This team approach has had proven success in establishing personal treatment plans that achieve optimal patient outcomes.