Local anesthetics and neurolytics can decrease focal or regional muscle overactivity in patients with cerebral palsy and spasticity by decreasing afferent and efferent nerve impulses. Local anesthetics (eg, lidocaine, bupivacaine, etidocaine) can reduce focal spasticity by decreasing afferent and efferent impulses in nerves supplying skeletal muscles.

Blocks may be intramuscular or perineural. Nerve blocks produced by local anesthetic agents produce short-duration effects and are predominantly used for either diagnostic purposes or for shortterm relief of focal spasticity prior to an intervention (eg, casting).

Neurolytics (eg, phenol, ethanol) produce long-term effects by destroying or severely damaging the nerve or motor points (distal motor nerve branches very close to muscle). Neurolytics produce effects that last from 2 to 5 months