WAXY FLEXIBILITY: CHARACTERISTICS, DISEASES AND TREATMENT - ECONOMÍA - 2025

The waxy flexibility is a psychomotor symptom that is characterized by producing a decreased response to external stimuli and a tendency to remain in a stationary position.

It is a typical manifestation of catatonic schizophrenia, although it is not a unique symptom of this disease, and it can also be observed in other types of alterations.

Waxy flexibility is a serious condition that completely affects a person's frown. Her will to move is completely eliminated and the individual adopts a totally immobile posture, regardless of what is happening around her.

Why waxy flexibility?

The name of this symptom corresponds to the characteristics of the alteration itself. In this way, a person suffering from waxy flexibility experiences exactly what her nomenclature defines.

Thus, people with waxy flexibility present a totally immobile posture that they are unable to change no matter how much they are urged or received external stimuli that encourage them to do so.

In fact, if someone tries to move an individual's arm with waxy flexibility, the limb will only perform the forced movement, without the individual modifying the movement performed at all.

That is, the body of the person with waxy flexibility adopts a rigid posture, as if it were made of wax, and they only move if a third person (not the subject) physically performs the body movement.

In this sense, waxy flexibility can be interpreted as a state in which the individual's body turns to wax. This stops making all kinds of movement, remains totally immobile and the limbs only move if another person grabs them and modifies their position.

Consequences

The characteristics of the symptom itself clearly and easily identify the severity of the waxy flexibility.

When this alteration is experienced, the person completely loses their ability, will and need to perform any type of movement and any type of behavior.

Likewise, the person with waxy flexibility does not present any type of opposition to external stimuli, so that any individual can approach it and perform any type of action they want with their body.

In general, moments of waxy flexibility do not last long and usually only occur for a certain period of time.

However, while the symptom lasts, the person completely loses its functionality. She adopts a totally passive posture and is unable to perform any type of movement.

Waxy flexibility vs catalepsy

The term catalepsy is often used as a synonym for waxy flexibility and the word waxy flexibility as a synonym for catalepsy. However, despite the fact that they constitute two very similar alterations, they are not the same manifestation and present important differences.

Specifically, catalepsy is a sudden disorder of the nervous system characterized by the momentary loss of mobility (voluntary and involuntary) and of bodily sensitivity.

Thus, catalepsy is an alteration that presents among its symptoms waxy flexibility but also incorporates other types of symptoms. In this sense, waxy flexibility is only one (important) symptom of catalepsy.

During the state of catalepsy, the body remains totally paralyzed, a fact that is manifested through the passive mobilization of the coparle limbs. Likewise, it presents a series of symptoms that make the person appear to have died. The most important are:

1-Rigid body.

2-Rigid members.

3-Immobile limbs that remain in the same position when they move (waxy flexibility).

4-Absence of response to visual and tactile stimuli.

5-Loss of muscle control.

6-Deceleration of bodily functions: respiration, digestion, heartbeat, blood pressure, respiratory rate, etc.

Waxy flexibility and catatonic schizophrenia

Waxy flexibility is a symptom that appears mainly in catatonic schizophrenia and in some cases of mood disorder with catatonic behavior, although its prevalence in the latter is very low.

Catatonic schizophrenia is a specific type of schizophrenia. Thus, it is a serious and chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that is classified as a psychotic disease.

However, unlike other types of schizophrenic conditions, the main characteristic of this pathology lies in the presence of psychomotor disorders that can include immobility, excessive motor activity, extreme negativism or mutism, among others.

These manifestations are included within the well-known catatonic symptoms, of which waxy flexibility is one of the most typical and prevalent.

The other symptoms that can occur in conjunction with waxy flexibility in this disorder can be subdivided into two main categories: spontaneous normal movements and induced abnormal movements.

Spontaneous normal movements

These types of manifestations are characterized by producing in the patient a series of atypical movements that appear automatically and spontaneously. The main ones are:

1. Bizarre or bizarre postures.
2. Catatonic stupor
3. Catatonic excitement or rage.

Induced abnormal movements

In this case, psychomotor disorders are characterized by presenting some kind of relationship with external contact and appearing induced. The main ones are:

1. Waxy flexibility.
2. Passive movements.
3. Propulsion movements.
4. Immediate responses.
5. Extreme negativism.

Treatment

As it is a symptom of a pathology, waxy flexibility does not present specific treatments, but must be intervened depending on the disease that caused it.

In a minority of cases where waxy flexibility is caused by extreme shock, emotion, or trauma, the symptom often goes away on its own and requires no treatment.

On the other hand, when this manifestation appears as a consequence of schizophrenia or mood disorders with catatonic manifestations, the administration of antipsychotic drugs, muscle relaxants or electro-convulsive therapy is usually required.

References

1. Babington PW, Spiegel DR. Treatment of catatonia with olanzapine and amantadine. Psychosomatics 48: 534-536, 2007.
2. Bush G, et al. Catatonia and other motor syndromes in a chronically hospitalized psychiatric hospitalization. Schizophrenia Research 27: 83-92, 1997.
3. Cornic, F., Consoli, A., Cohen, D., 2007. Catatonic syndrome in children and adolescents. Psychiatr. Ann. 37, 19-26.
4. Heckers, S., Tandon, R., Bustillo, J., 2010. Catatonia in the DSM - shall we move or not? Schizophr. Bull. 36, 205-207.
5. Rosebush, PI, Mazurek, MF, 2010. Catatonia and its treatment. Schizophr. Bull. 36, 239–242.