Spasticity & Neurorestoration
Spasticity care and neurorestoration share a practical goal: improving comfort, movement, care, and function after injury or disease affecting the nervous system. Dr. Barone combines functional neurosurgery, neuromodulation, rehabilitation-oriented planning, and emerging neuroimmune modulation strategies to match each patient to an appropriate treatment pathway.
Spasticity and neurorestoration pathway
From tone and function assessment to recovery strategy
Function review
Assess injury type, tone pattern, remaining strength, sensation, disability, and rehabilitation history.
Goal definition
Define the goal, such as comfort, positioning, arm use, hand control, independence, or disease-modulation strategy.
Option matching
Compare baclofen pump, SDR, paired VNS, VNS for RA, nerve transfer, ReActiv8, or research pathways.
Procedure planning
Plan the implant, rhizotomy, stimulation therapy, or reconstruction only when candidacy, timing, and goals align.
Rehabilitation
Coordinate recovery, therapy, programming, outcome tracking, and long-term follow-up.
Function-focused
Planning starts with tone, comfort, remaining function, and realistic recovery goals.
Technology-aware
Established therapies, emerging devices, and research pathways are separated clearly.
Rehabilitation-linked
Surgical and device decisions are coordinated around therapy participation and follow-up.
When tone or neurologic injury limits function
This pillar is most relevant when spasticity affects comfort, positioning, caregiving, or movement, or when the question is whether function can be improved, supported, or recovered. Evaluation begins with the neurologic injury, remaining function, rehabilitation potential, tone pattern, medical context, timing, and a realistic discussion of what a device or procedure can and cannot do.
Treatments & procedures
- ✓Spasticity surgery and intrathecal baclofen pump evaluation
- ✓Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) for selected spasticity patterns
- ✓Paired VNS therapy for stroke rehabilitation, including Vivistim
- ✓VNS for selected rheumatoid arthritis patients
- ✓Nerve transfers for selected spinal cord injury patterns
- ✓ReActiv8 restorative neurostimulation for selected chronic low back pain
- ✓Integration of surgery, neuromodulation, and rehabilitation goals
Conditions & treatments we cover
Spasticity Surgery
Muscle tightness, spasms, and abnormal tone after injury to the brain or spinal cord can affect comfort, mobility, hygiene, sleep, and care needs, and may be eased with targeted surgical or neuromodulation treatments.
Learn more →Intrathecal Baclofen Pump
An intrathecal baclofen pump delivers medication directly to the spinal fluid to relieve severe spasticity, helping control tightness and spasms with lower doses and fewer systemic side effects than oral medication.
Learn more →Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) for Spasticity
Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is a neurosurgical treatment for selected spasticity patterns, reducing abnormal sensory input to improve tone, comfort, and function.
Learn more →Paired VNS Therapy for Stroke Rehabilitation
Paired vagus nerve stimulation therapy, including Vivistim, combines an implanted vagus nerve stimulator with intensive rehabilitation to support arm and hand recovery after selected ischemic strokes.
Learn more →Nerve Transfers for Spinal Cord Injury
Selected patients with spinal cord injury may be candidates for nerve transfer surgery to restore specific lost functions, most often in the upper limb, when remaining donor nerves and timing make reconstruction possible.
Learn more →VNS for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Vagus nerve stimulation for rheumatoid arthritis is a neuroimmune modulation strategy for selected adults with active RA whose disease remains difficult to control despite advanced medical therapy.
Learn more →Restorative Neurostimulation for Chronic Low Back Pain
Restorative neurostimulation is an implanted therapy for selected patients with chronic mechanical low back pain related to impaired multifidus muscle control.
Learn more →Request an evaluation with Dr. Barone
New patients and referring physicians are welcome. Patients from outside Houston, across the United States, and internationally are welcome.