Overview of Tone Management and Mobility Program
The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation program at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin provides one of the most complete Tone Management and Mobility programs to meet the complex needs of children with spasticity and other movement disorders. We offer:
- A pediatric physiatrist who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation to treat your child's spasticity and related conditions.
- Access to other pediatric specialists if needed such as pediatric neurosurgeons who offer selective dorsal rhizotomy and baclofen pump placement, pediatric orthopedic surgeons who offer bone and muscle surgery, and physical therapists who provide therapy or consultation.
- The full range of current medical, surgical and rehabilitative treatments such as:
We aim to improve comfort, caregiving, mobility and functional independence for all patients.
Common conditions causing spasticity in children include:
Signs and symptoms of spasticity include:
- Muscle stiffness in trunk, arm or legs.
- Difficulty with movements such as rolling, sitting, walking, reaching and/or grasping.
- Painful spasms that interfere with sleep and daily positioning.
Spasticity is an abnormal muscle stiffness caused by damage to the brain and/or spinal cord. Spasticity can be helpful when it substitutes for strength. However, it also can interfere with movement, making it difficult for many children and adults to do things independently. They may have trouble sitting, crawling, walking, sleeping or eating. Spasticity can cause bone deformity, skin breakdown, contractures and pain.
Those with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, brain injury and stroke often have spasticity that interferes with their independence. Fortunately, most spasticity can be improved with a variety of medical and therapeutic interventions.
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