Lehman credits her progress to a treatment she's been following to alleviate spasticity that caused tremors and stiffness in her limbs. Up to 1.2 million Americans experience some degree of spasticity from neurological disorders. Spasticity means that muscles are out of control because the brain and spinal cord do not transmit nerve signals that allow muscles to work properly. Spasticity is comparable to the twitch you feel when the doctor taps your knee with a hammer to test your reflexes. But spasticity lingers and often has a debilitating ripple effect.
Spasticity causes permanent muscle contractions, abnormal muscle tone and pain.
It may lead to immobility or general weakness that impedes daily activities and interrupts sleep. Muscles may be alternately floppy or rigid. Dr. Michael Munin checks the flexibility in Lehman's right hand at the UPMC spasticity center in Oakland. A person with weak legs, for example, may find that rigid muscles help to straighten and lock the legs, making it easier to stand or pivot from a wheelchair onto a bed. The UPMC center, which opened last fall, provides such care.