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My son gets severe Myoclonic jerks periodically that can last a couple of days. Is there any therapy that can ease them?


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1
Senior physical therapist

Answer transcribed from Brightway's interview with Dr. Cristen Gordon (pt.1):

 

Myoclonic jerk is basically an involuntary spasm, not quite spasticity, meaning you may not be stuck in one position for a good amount of time. The jerks will come on suddenly and they can be very violent. They can really limit your function and your mobility. You could get 20 jerks and then again in 10 minutes, depending on how severe you're getting them. One of the physical therapy treatments that we do is a range of motion and stretching. We're trying to relax the muscle reflex that's causing the jerks. The other thing is if you also have spasticity related to myoclonic jerks, you'll have to go to your doctor for spasticity medications. Physical therapists may also use some kind of splinting or bracing, depending on which muscle you have is jerking, and there'll have to be some talk about how to to use the brace or the splinting safely so that you're not creating any pressure wounds or skin breakdowns when you're using it.