Differential diagnosis and treatment of muscle hypertonia as practiced in Zagreb's Centre/Institute for Neuromuscular Diseases.

Because I am a neuromyologist that has dealt for many years with muscle hypertonia, I decided to write my memories in order to motivate younger researchers to try to duplicate the same observations and experiences. We defined a whole range of conditions and symptoms, partly or in full. That is the first crucial step on the way to suppressing or relieving suffering. In some cases there was nothing we could do. In the other cases, we managed to diminish the uncomfortable symptoms. In still other cases, we cured the diseases, at least for a while. My conclusion is that great and systematic effort is always worth the trial. Maybe someone will follow us?! Always again, i used to repeat to myself and to the others that, when approaching the patient, always the following rules should be respected: watch, listen and use your own common sense to evaluate what you observe; analyse why the symptoms occur in a concrete case; include the therapy in the logic of symptom development; continue to follow the patient and ask questions of yourself and of your colleagues; consult the literature; find the differences; ask again and again what else could be done ... and the solutions will appear unexpectedly.