Spasticity question

[cuzpach]

If you have spasticity would your muslce be tense then occasionally spasm in a quick motion?  Or is it like you don't feel tense then the legs spasms?  Or both?  To be considered to have spasticity does your muscle have to be in a state of tension?

Thanks in advance.

[cuzpach]

Thanks for the responses.  Think I am a little clearer now.  Thanks.

[Ojibajo]

I wonder if this would help answer some of your questions:

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Muscle-Tone-And-Spasticity/show/159?cid=36

[Sailorsong]

Spasticity is defined as a tightness or increased tone of a muscle. It is caused by an imbalance of signals to tighten or relax of the muscle. So in other words the muscle is tight and when you move the muscle it will move quicker than you intended or it needed to be moved (ie reflex test during a Neuro Exam).

A good example is when I get a cramp in my leg. The spasticity will tighten my calf muscle until it results in a cramp. Then as soon as I try to move that leg it will snap backward quickly until my foot is against my butt. This is not something I relish at all since there is nothing I can do to stop the cramp (like trying to walk it off).

Dennis
  

[Ojibajo]

I thought that spasms and spasticity where the same thing, but my friend who also has MS says that they are not, so I don't really know.

My legs and my left arm have issues where the muscles will basically contract and just stay that way. I also get muscle spasms, like Charley horses, in my calves that are really intense and painful. They are sometimes so powerful they will force my legs to bend. Sometimes I get like muscle twitching. I sort of thought that ALL of this fell under the umbrella term of "spasticity". I would think that a muscle spasm would be a type of spasticity, but my friend said no, they are different. I don't really know for sure.

I never ask my neurologist questions like this because half of the time I don't think she understands what I am asking her so the answers that she gives are never very clear to me.