There are several conditions associated with spinal cord injuries. A few of the common ones are the clonus, spasticity, and muscle tone.
A clonus is a neurological condition that creates involuntary rapid muscle contractions. This results in uncontrollable, rhythmic, and shaking movements. Mine happen primarily in the hands and feet, which are triggered when being stretched or moved.
Colonus slightly differentiates from spasticity. Spasms are the tightening of the muscles, whereas clonus is the jerks of the muscles. I have both in abundance. Yay me!
Tone, or hypertonia, is resistance of the muscle to passive stretch. It can be with or without spasticity.
Both clonus and spasticity are involuntary and painful. For moi, physical or emotional stress triggers the spasticity. My arms contract inward and legs will stiffen.
When my baclofen pump was set at a low dosage, I had spasms happen simultaneously in my arms and legs. My whole body would shake violently. I called these ‘body quakes’ or ‘brain rattlers‘ and they were painful. Fortunately, I have not had these in several months.
My baclofen pump does not manage the tone or spasticity very well. I had two back surgeries for scoliosis over 40 years ago. I have a rod attached to my spine. My doctor believes the scar tissue from these surgeries interfere with the flow of baclofen, which goes to my brain rather than my body. I’ve had hallucinations because of this. It’s a lovely situation.
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