What Is a Contracture?
A contracture occurs when your muscles, tendons, joints, or other tissues tighten or shorten causing a deformity. Contracture symptoms include pain and loss of movement in the joint. If this occurs, you should seek treatment right away. Doctors can treat contractures with medicine, casts, and physical therapy.
As tissue that stretches becomes less flexible, you might:
- Begin having contracture symptoms
- Find it hard to move the affected area
- Have limited range of motion
Contracture causes and risk factors
Risk factors that may cause contractures include:
- Scarring from burns or injuries
- Cerebral palsy
- Muscular dystrophy
- Nerve damage
- Stroke
- Central nervous system diseases
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Tenosynovitis (swelling of a tendon and the tendon sheath)
- Traumatic injury
- Being inactive for a long time
Learn more about contracture risk factors
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