Examination and Management of Spasticity and Weakness

Abstract

&NA; In this paper information pertaining to the teaching, within a MS physical therapy curriculum, of the concepts of “spasticity” and “weakness” is presented. These concepts are taught in 2 required and 1 elective course, which span the 2‐year program. Students are expected to develop both physical mastery of the skills necessary to treat, confidently and efficiently, as well as the ability to critically analyze each examination and intervention procedure. Four questions are used to guide the students as they learn the material pertaining to examination and intervention. (1) What is the theoretical rationale? (2) Is there basic science evidence that is consistent with the theoretical premise? (3) Are clinical efficacy data available and how consistent are these data between studies? (4) Could the examinations and interventions that were used in controlled published studies realistically be performed by therapists in a clinical setting? Included in the paper are a course overview, description of the course contents, required texts, definitions, the neurologic exam, examination and interventions for spasticity, and examination and interventions for strength.