Important Announcements

Nondiscrimination Statement Update

Boston Medical Center Health System complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency and primary language), religion, culture, physical or mental disabilities, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression. BMCHS provides free aids and services to people with disabilities and free language services to people whose primary language is not English.

To see our full nondiscrimination statement, click here.

Campus Construction Update

Starting September 14, we’re closing the Menino building lobby entrance. This, along with the ongoing Yawkey building entrance closure, will help us bring you an even better campus experience that matches the exceptional care you've come to expect. Please enter the Menino and Yawkey buildings through the Moakley building, and make sure to leave extra time to get to your appointment. Thank you for your patience. 

Click here to learn more about our campus redesign. 

Spasticity

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The Department of Neurosurgery at Boston Medical Center offers exceptional care in a comfortable, compassionate environment. We diagnose and treat a wide variety of brain and spinal cord conditions in children and adults, and your recovery is our highest priority. We draw on a multidisciplinary team of experts to care for you and your family.

One of the conditions we treat is spasticity, which refers to a continual contracting of muscles that can cause stiffness or tightness and sometimes movement, speech and walking difficulties. It is caused by damage to the motor pathways of the brain or spinal cord, and when nerves send faulty messages to your muscles, painful contraction can result. This damage may occur after spinal cord injury, stroke or as a consequence of neuromuscular diseases such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.

We are able to help many patients with spasticity by implanting a specialized pump that delivers medication into the spinal cord via tiny incisions. The medication may be able to control your condition or reduce pain for a period of time. We will work with you to determine the best possible treatment path for your unique situation, and are here for you before and during treatment, as well as during the follow-up period.

Our Specialists

Dr. James Holsapple specialize in surgery for spasticity.

Departments and Programs Who Treat This Condition

department

Neurosurgery

We provide comprehensive surgical treatment of the spine for trauma, degenerative conditions, congenital problems, and more. Our surgeons are experts in less invasive surgical tec…
Neurosurgery
department

Functional Neurosurgery

When a neurological disorder disrupts your daily life, our team can provide state-of-the-art treatment and compassionate care to help you get back to your life.
Functional Neurosurgery
department

Pediatric Neurosurgery

We have extensive experience in pediatric neurosurgery, using state-of-the-art techniques and compassion to provide expert care and guidance during a potentially difficult time.
Pediatric Neurosurgery