Caring for Someone with Upper Limb Spasticity
Caring for someone who has survived a debilitating injury or a chronic condition can be a challenging experience. Upper limb spasticity only adds to the stress you may feel. Suddenly, you become another member of your loved one's healthcare team — without much training. You become responsible for assisting them with the most basic tasks — brushing their teeth, helping them dress or even feeding them or helping them in the restroom. While this can be a scary time, it also can be difficult to watch someone you love struggle with daily activities.
However, it's important to know that there are treatment options available for upper limb spasticity. The first step is to have your loved one's symptoms assessed to obtain the appropriate diagnosis.
Look for the following if you think your loved one has upper limb spasticity:
- A clenched hand in a tight, balled up fist
- An arm twisted, and “stuck” against the chest
- Flexed or bent elbow or wrist
- Disfigured fingers
Your loved one with upper limb spasticity may also complain of:
- Uncomfortable tightness and stiffness in the muscles of the elbow, wrist or fingers
- Uncomfortable contractions of the affected arm and hand
As someone who helps to care for a loved one with upper limb spasticity, it's important to encourage your loved one to advocate for their own health. Have them talk to a doctor specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of upper limb spasticity, such as a neurologist or physiatrist, about what they are experiencing, even if you are not sure that it can be treated. If you don't have a doctor, and want to find one who diagnoses and treats upper limb spasticity, click here.
What's important to remember is that you can play an important role in helping your loved one to work with a doctor to evaluate the condition and available treatment options. Encourage those living with upper limb spasticity to speak to their physician about treatment options available.
"Open Arms: Raising Awareness for Upper Limb Spasticity" Educational Campaign Advocacy Partners. Sponsors of the Open Arms educational campaign do not endorse any specific treatment for upper limb spasticity
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BOTOX® is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to treat increased muscle stiffness in elbow, wrist, and finger muscles with upper limb spasticity in people 18 years and older.
It is not known whether BOTOX® is safe or effective for other types of muscle spasms.
BOTOX® may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection of BOTOX®:
- Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months.
- Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice (dysphonia), trouble saying words clearly (dysarthria), loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing.
There has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect away from the injection site when BOTOX® has been used at the recommended dose to treat severe underarm sweating, blepharospasm, or strabismus.
The dose of BOTOX® is not the same as, or comparable to, another botulinum toxin product.
Serious and or immediate allergic reactions have been reported. These reactions include itchy rash, swelling, and shortness of breath. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you experience any such symptoms, further injection of BOTOX® should be discontinued.
Do not take BOTOX® if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX® (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc® or Dysport®; have a skin infection at the planned injection site.
Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease], myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects including severe dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and respiratory compromise (difficulty breathing) from typical doses of BOTOX®.
Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have: plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; weakness of forehead muscles, such as trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (It is not known if BOTOX® can harm your unborn baby); are breast-feeding or plan to breastfeed (It is not known if BOTOX® passes into breast milk).
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins and herbal products.
BOTOX® may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, or vision problems. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.
Other side effects of BOTOX® include: dry mouth, discomfort or pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, neck pain, and eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids, swelling of your eyelids, and dry eyes.
For more information refer to the Medication Guide or talk with your doctor.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see full Product Information, including Medication Guide for BOTOX®.