Abstract

Botulinum toxin is increasingly used in clinical practice as a basic or adjunctive agent in many fields modern medicine. In the field of rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal system, the introduction of botulinum toxin has opened new unexpected therapeutic avenues. This method broadens the possibilities for therapeutic intervention of doctors and physiotherapists, for whom complete recovery or improvement of the patient’s overall physical capacity is the measure of success. Because of its effectiveness and high safety for the patient, it is considered to be a modern and promising medicinal agent. The possibility of applying botulinum toxin selectively and, at the same time, precisely makes for a good clinical effect, while an appropriate pharmacological safety margin is also maintained. Although the range of indications is broad, it is in the treatment of spasticity of particular muscle groups who received the treatment as quickly as possible. Absolute contraindications include: myasthenia gravis, myasthenic syndrome, blood coagulability disorders. The most serious relative contraindications are pregnancy and breast-feeding. Intensive clinical research as well as numerous scientific meetings are making it possible for the method to gain more popularity and also to the clinical experience. Current standards of botulinum toxin use have been elaborated and published by an interdisciplinary group of experts. These standards are guidelines for practicing physicians. The author’s experience and available literature have served to present a state-of-the-art review of the use of botulinum toxin in clinical practice.

Key words:

spasticity, botulinum toxin, cerebral palsy