Intrathecal baclofen therapy (ITB)

Release tension – reduce spasticity

ITB can be an effective treatment for patients with marked spasticity and dystonia who respond insufficiently to conservative or medication-based therapies or who react with intolerable side-effects.

What is intrathecal baclofen therapy (ITB)?

With ITB, the antispastic drug is administered via an implanted pump in very small quantities into the spinal canal directly at the spinal cord. Here, the drug has direct access to the nerve cells that control muscle tension. The drug influences these nerve cells so that the muscles are relaxed. Because only a small dose of the drug is required, side-effects are reduced to a minimum.

Who can benefit from the therapy?

Patients whose spastic or spastic-dystonic movement disorder

• traps them in their body
• prevents them from walking using aids
• prevents them from sitting in a wheelchair
• disrupts sleep
• makes therapy difficult/impossible
• causes pain
• makes dressing and care difficult
• makes everyday activities difficult/impossible because of shooting muscle tension

The pathway to ITB

Step 1: First appointment for diagnosis and consultancy

• Clarification whether the therapy would be suitable for your child, initial appointment 
• Provision of advice and information
• Comprehensive recording of neuropaediatric, child orthopaedic and physiotherapeutic results

Step 2. Testing

• Effectiveness is tested with a one-off administration of baclofen into the cerebral fluid.
• Testing is carried out by the ITB team in the Munich-Schwabing Children's Clinic.
• The aim of the test is to monitor essentially positive changes in spasticity.

Step 3: Implantation

• The implantation is planned after a decision in favour of ITB has been reached jointly with you.
• The procedure is carried out in an operation under full anaesthesia in the Munich-Schwabing Children's Clinic

Step 4: After-care

• On an outpatient basis by the ITB team in the kbo-Kinderzentrum München and the Munich-Schwabing Children's Clinic

Who will look after me/my child in the ITB Centre Munich?

Patients and their families are looked after by an interdisciplinary team from the specialist fields of neuropaediatry and physiotherapy (kbo-Kinderzentrum München), child orthopaedics, paediatric surgery, anaesthesia and physiotherapy (Munich-Schwabing Children's Clinic).