What is spasticity?
Spasticity in a nutshell
Spasticity describes a way your body may behave following brain or spinal cord damage. You may experience prolonged muscle contractions, and muscles that feel stiff or tight and are harder to control.1
This is because the system that controls voluntary movement and muscle tone and supports your body against gravity is affected. This system is called the upper motor neuron system (UMN).2
12M
people
are affected by spasticity worldwide1
45%
of stroke survivors
may develop spasticity within three months3
86%
of people
with multiple sclerosis have some form of spasticity4
65%–74%
of people
after spinal cord injury have some form of spasticity5
How many people are affected by spasticity?
It is estimated that spasticity affects over 12 million people throughout the world.1
In 2023, 91,162 people in the UK were admitted to hospital due to stroke. It is estimated that 25% of the stroke survivors develop spasticity two weeks after a stroke episode. It is reported that 38% of people surviving their first stroke will experience spasticity at 12 months post-stroke.6,7
Around 86% of people with multiple sclerosis have some form of spasticity, negatively impacting their quality of life.4
In addition, 19% of patients with a new diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, and 10% of those with an ongoing history of multiple sclerosis need treatment for spasticity.8
70% of people with cerebral palsy have spasticity
Spasticity is found in 70% of people (aged 2 to 20 years) with cerebral palsy, many of whom are nonambulatory.9
When someone has a traumatic brain injury, the way they get hurt and the patterns of their injury can be very different. Up to 85% of people with these injuries develop spasticity.10
Spasticity is also common after spinal cord injury, affecting about 65% to 74% of those who experience it. For 35% to 45% of them, it can be quite bothersome or problematic.5
Spasticity is more likely to happen if the spinal cord injury is in the neck area (cervical level) or in the upper back (thoracic level), with 87% and 85% of these injuries leading to spasticity. It’s less common if the injury is in the lower back (lumbar level), where 57% of injuries result in spasticity.11
References
1Johns Hopkins Medicine. Spasticity. Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/spasticity [Accessed September 2025]
2Emos MC, Agarwal S. Neuroanatomy, Upper Motor Neuron Lesion. [Updated 2023 Aug 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537305/ [Accessed September 2025]
3Schinwelski MJ, Sitek EJ, Wąż P, Sławek JW. Prevalence and predictors of post-stroke spasticity and its impact on daily living and quality of life. Neurol Neurochir Pol. 2019;53(6):449-57.
4Milinis K, Tennant A, Young CA; TONiC study group. Spasticity in multiple sclerosis: Associations with impairments and overall quality of life. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2016 Jan;5:34-9.
5Holtz KA, Lipson R, Noonan VK, Kwon BK, Mills PB. Prevalence and Effect of Problematic Spasticity After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2017 Jun;98(6):1132-8.
6https://www.strokeaudit.org/Documents/National/Clinical/Apr2022Mar2023/Apr2022Mar2023-AnnualReport.aspx [Accessed September 2025]
7Bavikatte G, Subramanian G, Ashford S, Allison R, Hicklin D. Early Identification, Intervention and Management of Post-stroke Spasticity: Expert Consensus Recommendations. J Cent Nerv Syst Dis. 2021;13:11795735211036576. Published 2021 Sep 20. doi:10.1177/11795735211036576
8Smith KA, Piehl F, Olsson T, Alfredsson L, Hillert J, Kockum I, Stridh P, Montgomery S. Spasticity treatment patterns among people with multiple sclerosis: a Swedish cohort study. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2022 Dec 20:jnnp-2022-329886.
9Pulgar S, Bains S, Gooch J, Chambers H, Noritz GH, Wright E, Sawhney TG, Pyenson B, Ferro C. Prevalence, Patterns, and Cost of Care for Children with Cerebral Palsy Enrolled in Medicaid Managed Care. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2019 Jul;25(7):817-22.
10Enslin JMN, Rohlwink UK, Figaji A. Management of Spasticity After Traumatic Brain Injury in Children. Front Neurol. 2020 Feb 21;11:126.
11Skoog B, Jakobsson KE. Prevalence of Spasticity and Below-Level Neuropathic Pain Related to Spinal Cord Injury Level and Damage to the Lower Spinal Segments. J Rehabil Med Clin Commun. 2020 Mar 8;3:1000039.