Spasm( synonyms: writing cramp, graphospasm) - a pathological process, which is characterized by a violation of specific written movements while retaining other motor manipulations of the hand.
The disorder is one of the most frequent variants of professional dyskinesia( impaired motor activity).
Contents
- Factors that cause grafospazm
- Clinical symptoms and diagnostics
- Approaches to therapy
- Exercises
- Physiotherapy
- Prophylaxis
- Possible problems and complications of
- disease Summary
Factors that cause graffospasm
According to its name, the disease usually develops in people,which due to the nature of the work are forced for a long time tense and diligent writing( teachers, students, etc.).
The appearance of the disease is typical for elderly and senile people, regardless of gender.
Factors contributing to the development of pathology:
- psychoemotional disorders( stress, depression, etc.);
- neuroses and neurasthenia;
- predisposition to hysteria;
- chronic alcoholism;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical and other parts of the spine;
- atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels;
- inflammatory diseases of the hand( myositis, neuritis, etc.);
- complications after acute infectious diseases( influenza, rotavirus infection, etc.).
Most scientists tend to believe that this occupational pathology is reversible and is not associated with an organic lesion of the basal nuclei in the brain.
Clinical symptomatology and diagnosis
The spasm of spasm differs slowly progressing course. At the initial stage, it occurs only after several hours of intense and constant writing.
In the future, writing spasm progresses, and the symptoms manifest almost immediately after the start of the pen.
Wrong redistribution of muscle tone of the hand causes characteristic manifestations of the disease:
- Pain in the area of the fingers , which extends to the entire arm.
- The trembling and weakness of the fingers phalanx , which makes it difficult, distorts or makes it impossible to perform the act of writing.
- Muscle spasm , which leads to the formation of a contracture of the fingers, gradually grasping the forearm and shoulder. Less often the contracture goes to the neck and face area.
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Depending on the prevalence of muscle tone flexors or extensors, a specific arm position is observed.
Given the clinical symptom leading, the following are distinguished: convulsive, paretic, neurological and trembling form of the disease.
Some distinctive features of the disease when performing the act of writing:
- Violation of the letter does not prevent the patient from performing other actions by hand( hold the plug, fasten the clothes, etc.).
- Difficulties in writing sentences, especially pronounced at the end of the line.
- Dependence of the manifestation of symptoms on the speed of writing: the acceleration of spelling of words causes the manifestation of signs of spasm.
- The use of compensatory letter mechanisms by patients: changing hands for writing, writing with a pen clenched or caught in any other unusual ways.
- Letter chalk on asphalt, lying or standing is often not difficult.
In the early stages of the development of the disease, difficulties sometimes arise in the diagnosis of pathology.
The disease is distinguished from organic lesions of the brain nuclei, which manifest similar symptoms( Parkinson's disease, torsion dystonia, athetosis, etc.).
Approaches to therapy
Writing devices for the treatment of spasm
In the initial stages, a good rest has a good effect from a familiar letter.
If written spasm is diagnosed, the treatment is performed in a hospital and at home using several main directions:
- therapy of the underlying disease that could provoke the disease( neuritis, myositis, osteochondrosis, etc.);
- drug therapy for the removal of muscle spasm and mental disorders: the intake of muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, antidepressants, etc.
Exercises
Smooth development of a new stereotype of the act of writing under the supervision of a specialist:
- Performing slow writing of lines, zigzags, dashes and other figures with gradually increasing tempo of writing.
- Exercises are held regularly, after a preliminary rest. Try to write letters and words begin only at the end of the course of gymnastics.
If there is no result from the gymnastic exercises, the patient is offered to learn the letter with the other hand. Although in a pronounced process, this can be ineffective and the disease will seize both hands.
Physiotherapy
A wide range of physiotherapy procedures: hydrotherapy, darsonval, magnetotherapy, sleep therapy, reflexotherapy, acupuncture, massage, etc.
And also work with a psychotherapist to relieve anxiety, panic and other psychogenic states.
Preventative measures
Preventive measures are reduced to the treatment of diseases that can cause the development of this occupational pathology.
In addition, it is important to alternate between work and rest, doing exercises for fingers, slow writing and changing hands when writing large amounts of text.
Possible problems and complications of
disease In some patients, despite the ongoing therapy, the act of writing becomes significantly difficult or completely disrupted.
Changing hands for writing does not always solve this problem, because after a while the disease begins on the other hand.
In this connection, patients are forced to change their profession, master computer or machine text.
In rare cases, motor impairment of the fingers can be manifested when performing other actions by hand( shaving, brushing teeth, etc.).
Summary
Spasm is one of the variants of occupational diseases, which are more likely to affect elderly people with unstable psyche and concomitant diseases in the anamnesis.
The main clinical manifestations of the disease : pain, convulsions, numbness of the upper limb and the inability to write.
Therapy of pathology is carried out in a complex way with the selection of necessary drug therapy and other methods of treatment. Prevention is aimed at treating the contributing diseases, stabilizing the psychoemotional state and eliminating stereotyped mechanisms of writing with the help of hand gymnastics.
The prognosis of the disease depends on the timely start of treatment and the opportunity to give the hands the necessary rest.
The patient's professional capacity for work becomes sharply limited, and in some cases the disease forces him to think about changing his profession.
Other motor skills of the hand usually persist and do not cause problems.
