wein explains that of rising numbers of stroke in canada, 15 per cent of people die from their stroke, but around 60 per cent are left with some form of permanent disability, and spasticity is the worst type of disability.
“if you’ve ever walked down the street or in the hospital and seen people walking with their arm flexed up into their chest and their fingers turning the wrong way, or they’re walking with their foot twisted the wrong way, that’s called spasticity. it really impairs people’s quality of life.”
wein, a physician at the stroke prevention clinic at the montreal general hospital and assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery at mcgill university in montreal, is transforming the lives of stroke patients with spasticity. he injects botulinum toxin, commonly known as botox in cosmetic practices, to paralyze select muscles to reposition the foot, for example, so the person can be fitted for a brace and be able to walk again. while people have botox injections to smooth wrinkles and facial creases, stroke survivors can regain mobility and independence.
stroke patients may have their arm flexed or their hand clenched where they can’t clean their hand or they’re not able to extend their arm into their shirt sleeve so they can get dressed. the treatment can paralyze certain muscles to bring the arm or the limb or the hand into a better position so that people can get their arm into clothes.
“people can feel more like themselves, they don’t have to look different from everybody else,” he explains, adding he started working with botulinum toxin during his fellowship training in stroke at uthealth houston in texas in 1997, refining the approach like others in his field over the last 20 years. wein also serves on the steering committee of several ongoing trials looking at the effectiveness of botulinum toxin on spasticity and chairs the
canadian stroke best practice recommendations national care guidelines
.
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