Spasticity

Spasticity is a movement problem where muscles feel stiff and resist stretching, often after nervous system injury; this page supports US shipping from Canada while you compare options. Many people notice it during walking, dressing, transfers, or sleep, and it can affect arms, legs, or the whole body. This overview explains spasticity meaning in plain terms, outlines common care paths, and helps you compare brands, forms, and strengths across prescription options, with notes on practical handling and safety checks. Product availability can change because stock varies by manufacturer and supplier, so the exact form or strength may not always be listed at the moment you browse.
What’s in This Category – Spasticity
This category focuses on prescription therapies and supporting information used to manage muscle overactivity and painful tightness. Clinicians often describe spasticity as “velocity-dependent tone,” meaning resistance rises as a limb moves faster. Many treatments aim to reduce reflex-driven contraction so movement and care tasks feel easier.
You may see centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxants, also called antispasmodics, which work mainly in the brain and spinal cord. Another option is a direct-acting agent that reduces contraction inside the muscle cell. In practice, these choices can be paired with stretching, positioning, braces, or rehab plans. Some shoppers also compare options used when spasms overlap with cramping; see the related condition page for Muscle Spasms for adjacent topics.
Within product listings, you can usually compare dosage forms like tablets and capsules, plus available strengths and pack sizes. You may also compare how quickly a medicine starts working and whether it can cause sleepiness. This category can include spasticity medication used short term for flare-ups or longer term for chronic neurologic conditions. It can also include content that helps you discuss goals with a clinician, like safer transfers, reduced night wakening, or improved tolerance for therapy.
How to Choose
Start by naming your main goal and where tightness limits function. Some people focus on gait and balance, while others focus on dressing or hygiene. If you track symptoms in a brief diary, you can spot patterns and share clearer details at appointments.
Then compare options by form, strength, and timing needs. Shorter-acting medicines may suit predictable activities like therapy sessions. Longer coverage may suit night-time stiffness, but it can increase daytime drowsiness. Ask about interactions with alcohol, sleep aids, or opioids, since combined sedation can raise fall risk. Safety principles for muscle relaxants and labeling are summarized in FDA medication information resources at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration drug pages.
Practical selection criteria to discuss with a clinician
Think about function first, not just “less tone.” Stronger suppression can reduce spasms but also weaken useful muscle support. Review your daily routine and decide when you need the most help, such as mornings, transfers, or bedtime. If swallowing is hard, ask whether a different form is available, and confirm whether tablets can be split. Plan for storage and travel, including heat exposure and secure childproof handling. If you have liver disease or heavy alcohol use, bring that up early, since some agents require lab monitoring. If you use other medicines that lower blood pressure, ask about dizziness and slow position changes. A shared plan can include rehab plus medicine, especially when types of spasticity vary by limb and trigger.

Common mistake: increasing the dose quickly, which can worsen sedation.
Common mistake: stopping suddenly without a taper plan.
Common mistake: ignoring constipation, dehydration, or poor sleep.

Popular Options
Many people start by comparing well-known oral agents, then adjust based on response and tolerability. A widely used centrally acting choice is baclofen, which may help with ongoing stiffness and nighttime symptoms. You can browse available strengths and formats in Baclofen Products, and review condition-focused context in Baclofen for Spasticity.
Another centrally acting option is tizanidine, which is sometimes chosen when timing around activities matters. People often compare it for sleepiness, dry mouth, and blood pressure effects, especially when standing up quickly. See current listings and forms in Tizanidine Tablets so you can compare strengths and pack sizes.
A direct-acting alternative is dantrolene, which works at the muscle level rather than primarily in the central nervous system. This difference can matter when sedation limits daily function, though monitoring needs may differ. You can review available options in Dantrolene Capsules and compare how it fits with other therapies. These medicines are often part of spasticity treatment when stretching and positioning alone are not enough.
Related Conditions & Uses
Spasticity can follow injury or disease affecting the brain or spinal cord. Common pathways include damage to motor control circuits, which can shift reflex balance toward overactivity. That helps explain spasticity causes such as stroke, spinal cord injury, or certain neuroinflammatory conditions.
If tightness began after a cerebrovascular event, see Stroke for related recovery topics and complication patterns. If symptoms began in childhood, Cerebral Palsy can provide context for long-term mobility planning and care needs. For immune-mediated disease with evolving motor symptoms, Multiple Sclerosis may help you connect spasticity with fatigue and relapse patterns.
When the trigger is trauma or compression affecting the spine, Spinal Cord Injury may help clarify why spasms worsen with infections, skin irritation, or constipation. For practical self-management ideas that pair medication with rehab habits, see How to Manage Spasticity. If you also experience sudden painful cramping, the Muscle Spasms page can help separate overlapping symptoms.
Understanding Tone Patterns
Many people hear several terms that sound similar, but they describe different exam findings. Spasticity is a speed-related increase in tone, and it often comes with brisk reflexes. Rigidity is a more uniform resistance through the full range of motion, and it is often linked to Parkinsonian syndromes.
The phrase spasticity vs rigidity can matter when you review a neurologic exam, because the likely causes and treatment approach can differ. Spasticity may “catch” and then release, especially when the limb moves quickly. Rigidity often feels consistent, even when movement is slow, and it can affect flexors and extensors similarly. Spasms are different again, since they are brief bursts of contraction that may come and go with posture, pain, or bladder irritation. If you notice worsening after infections, dehydration, or poor sleep, those can be practical triggers to track and address alongside medication changes.
Authoritative Sources
For a clinical overview of neurologic contributors to abnormal muscle tone, see NINDS disorder information pages with symptom and cause summaries.
For labeling basics, warnings, and medication safety principles, review FDA drug resources describing prescribing and patient information.
For additional drug safety and product reference context, consult Health Canada drug product information and safety communications.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.