Spasticity is a stretch reflex disorder characterized by an abnormal increase in muscle resistance that is dependent on passive stretch speed. It can interfere with daily activities like movement and speech, or be associated with muscle pain and discomfort. Spasticity is typically observed in individuals who have damaged nerve pathways within the brain or spinal cord that control muscle movement [1]. This disorder may be associated with a variety of conditions and diseases, including: multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and stroke [1].
There are multiple degrees of spasticity and each one is accompanied by a qualitative description. Clinical evaluation is done by passively moving the upper and lower limb joints of patients. Generally, qualitative scales, such as the modified ashworth scale (MAS) [2], are used to rate the condition of a patient (Fig. 1). However, due to the lack of quantitative...