Abstract
The term “spasticity” is derivated from the Greek spasticos (δπαδτικσζ) and spaon (δπασν, to draw out, stretch). While the term spasm (Greek spasmos, δπαδμσζ) was already in use by Hippocrates to describe an epileptic fit (Skinner 1970), the term spasticity has been used only in the more recent literature. It was first used in English by Good in 1829. He describes “spastic wryneck: from excess of muscular action on the contracted side.” Thus, by this time usage was similar to that of today.
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© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Thilmann, A.F. (1993). Spasticity: History, Definitions, and Usage of the Term. In: Thilmann, A.F., Burke, D.J., Rymer, W.Z. (eds) Spasticity. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-78367-8_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-78367-8_1
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