Dr Wafa al-Yazeedi: “ITB therapy may improve a patient’s gait, hygiene, daily activities and ease of care.”
The physical medicine and rehabilitation department at Rumailah Hospital, a member of Hamad Medical Corporation, is offering a wide range of innovative rehabilitation and reintegration services to its patients, especially those requiring long-term care.
One of such services is the intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy for the management of severe spasticity, which was introduced as an in-patient service under the pain management programme in 2010 by the department’s senior consultant and acting chairperson, Dr Wafa al-Yazeedi.
“Spasticity is an abnormal increase in muscle tone caused by damage to the upper motor neuron pathways regulating muscles or injury or disease of the central nervous system. Spasticity may be a result of multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, brain injury, or spinal cord injury,” said Dr al-Yazeedi.
She noted that severe spasticity can have a distressing effect on a patient’s function, comfort and their care giving effort.
“Spasticity may result in musculoskeletal complications, loss of coordination, loss of function, pain and permanent muscle shortening or contracture. Under HMC’s pain management programme, we offer several clinics in three stages of care – acute, chronic and palliative care. The mantle of providing the chronic care service falls within the Rehabilitation Department and one of the important services that we offer is the ITB refilling and reprograming,” said Dr al- Yazeedi.
She explained that the department started the refilling and reprogramming of the baclofen pump in 2010 after she returned from Sweden and Switzerland having completed a course and training in the specialist area.
“ITB therapy uses an implantable infusion system to deliver precise amounts of baclofen injection directly to the intrathecal space via a surgically implanted infusion pump and catheter in a patient with severe spasticity,” explained Dr al-Yazeedi. She stated that the baclofen pump can stay under the patient’s skin and be refilled with baclofen injection for up to seven years.
According to her, treating severe spasticity with innovative treatment such as ITB therapy may improve a patient’s gait, hygiene, daily activities and ease of care. “ITB therapy may decrease spasm frequency, pain and fatigue in patient. It can also promote tone reduction, increase range of motion and joint position as well as increase a patient’s mobility. It may also complement other treatments, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy,” she noted.
