THE USE OF NEOSTIGMINE IN THE TREATMENT OF MUSCLE SPASM

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis shows certain signs which bear close resemblance to those of anterior poliomyelitis. Outstanding among these are muscle spasm and atrophy. Such muscle spasm persists even though the arthritic process has become quiescent, and results in limitation of motion, deformities, weakness, fatigue and pain on pressure or stretching of the affected part. In poliomyelitis the so-called muscle spasm has been treated with apparent success by the use of hot formentations in accord with the Kenny technic.¹In subacute and chronic poliomyelitis, neostigmine (prostigmine) has been used with encouraging results by Kabat and Knapp.²Our purpose in this study was to apply the principles set forth by the latter investigators to the muscle spasm accompanying rheumatoid arthritis and similarly related conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis is generally thought of as a condition which affects primarily the joints, resulting in a destructive lesion affecting the motion of those joints. However, we