Скачать или смотреть Did you know Botox was used this way?

Botulinum toxin is often associated with aesthetics, but in rehabilitation medicine it serves a very different purpose.

In patients with spasticity—commonly seen after stroke, traumatic brain injury, or in children with cerebral palsy—muscles receive continuous neural input that keeps them in a state of involuntary contraction. This leads to pain, restricted movement, and progressive loss of function.

Botulinum toxin works by inhibiting acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction, temporarily reducing excessive muscle activity. The result is a time-limited reduction in tone, typically lasting 3–4 months.

That window matters.

When overactivity is reduced, physical therapy becomes more effective. Therapists can retrain motor patterns, strengthen antagonist muscles, improve positioning, and reduce compensatory movement. In some cases, these neuromuscular gains persist beyond the pharmacologic effect.

In PM&R, the goal is not muscle relaxation alone—it is improved mobility, reduced pain, and greater independence. Same molecule. Completely different mission.

#RehabMedicine #PainManagement #NeurologicRehab #PhysicalMedicine #EvidenceBasedCare