Edmonton Health Center Offers Hope to Spastic Patients

Botox can provide much more relief than just ‘ironed out’ wrinkles.

A health center at Edmonton, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital is providing botox treatment for those suffering from spasticity that arises from cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and other neurological disorders. This condition renders simple movements, walking and even speech, difficult.

The muscles are constantly contracted, as they do not get the brain’s signal to relax.

The Glenrose’s Regional Spasticity Center offers botox as one form of treatment for the condition.

Botox injections can ease muscle tension for up to six weeks.

Another treatment is called intrathecal baclofen. A programmable pump feeds the drug baclofen through a catheter to an area surrounding the spinal cord.

The host of satisfied patients leaving the center is proof enough of the quality of services.

Gavin, a 9 -year -old boy developed an involuntary kicking and flailing of his legs, all of a sudden before his fifth birthday. After years of suffering, the child’s disorder known as dystonia, subsided considerably after an implantation of a baclofen- releasing device.

Another patient to benefit from the program is 40-year-old Doug Buck, who suffers spasticity from a childhood accident.

Botox injections have virtually changed his life, he claims.

Says Dr. Lalith Satkunam director of the program for adults "It (the program) has a significant impact on people's quality of life".

He adds the service will help more than 400 patients across the region regain motion and muscle tone. "We're trying to offer services to help these people improve their quality of life”, he concludes.

Other treatments include oral medications, spinal surgery or placing a battery-operated, programmable pump inside the patient to deliver muscle-relaxing medication.

Source-Medindia
ANN