When I demonstrate an FES cycling system, spasticity is usually in the room before I have finished setting up. A leg that will not settle onto the pedal. A knee that pushes out straight at the wrong moment. A foot that starts bouncing the instant it takes any weight. The person in the chair rarely calls it spasticity. They say their legs have a mind of their own, or that everything goes rigid when they transfer, or that the spasms wake them at three in the morning. The clinical word comes later, if it comes at all.

This article is for the person who has just been introduced to that word, or who has lived with the thing itself for years without anyone quite explaining it. I want to cover what spasticity and spasms actually are, why they happen after a spinal cord injury, a stroke or with multiple sclerosis, what they do to daily life, and what genuinely helps, from medication through to electrical stimulation. I will try to be clear about what the evidence shows and what it does not; if different people have told you contradictory things, that is partly because the field itself contains genuine uncertainty.

For some people, the obstacle to standing up is not weakness. It is the opposite problem: legs that are too stiff, too tense, or too unpredictable to cooperate. You go to move and the leg pushes out straight when you wanted it to bend, or a spasm arrives at the worst possible moment, or simply getting your feet into a sensible position feels like a negotiation. This is spasticity, and for a great many people, after an incomplete spinal cord injury or stroke, it is the single thing standing between them and a useful sit-to-stand.

We have written before about spasticity after spinal cord injury and the limits of medication. This article looks at a more specific question: when spasticity is the thing blocking a functional goal like standing, what can electrical stimulation do about it, and how do the pieces fit together?

Goal setting in rehabilitation can be particularly difficult. Clients understandably want to know: “How soon can I see the benefits of a particular intervention?” The benefit can be perceived in two ways: the extent of relief provided and the duration of the relief.

As a product and service provider, it's important to us that we manage expectations. That we don't over-promise and under-deliver, and for that reason, we work with medical devices that have at least some research guidance on expected results. Even in the best cases, there will there be individual variations in how someone responds to an intervention.

Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) represents a promising noninvasive neuromodulation technique for rehabilitation in spinal cord injury (SCI) and other neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

This article examines three distinct therapeutic applications—spasticity, pain, and functional recovery—each with different treatment requirements and expected outcomes. In basic terms, we review how long treatment should last before beneficial effects emerge and, once they do, how long they will last.

Spasticity is common after spinal cord injury, and while medication can help, it isn’t always the best or only option. This article explores alternative ways to manage spasticity when medication isn’t effective or suitable. It looks at why symptoms can vary, what triggers may make spasticity worse, and the importance of an individualised approach. From rehabilitation strategies to practical day-to-day management, it provides a helpful overview for improving comfort, function, and quality of life.