Muscle tone is essentially the degree of muscle elasticity and resistance that accompanies passive flexion or extension of the limbs. Muscle tone is due to various factors. First of all, it depends on the state of the muscles, peripheral nerve fibers and impulses. The ability of muscles to contract when overcoming a certain load is an important indicator of human health. It is absolutely normal that even in a relaxed state, the muscles are in some tension. As a result of disease and injury nervous system muscle tone may change. One or another type of violation leads to its decrease or increase. In accordance with this, hypo- and hypertonicity of the muscles are distinguished.

Increased muscle tone can be:

• spastic;
• rigid.

A distinctive feature of the spastic type is unevenness, selectivity. The cause of its occurrence are violations that affect the components of the pyramidal system. In this case, we are talking about a chain of neurons whose main task is to transmit motor commands addressed to skeletal muscles. Due to the fact that the central neuron in this system is damaged, spastic hypertonicity develops. Making movements of a passive nature occurs with difficulty, but this is characteristic of the very beginning of the action. In the future, these manipulations are performed quite easily. When making movements at a fast pace, such symptoms are more noticeable. Since there is damage in the motor center of the brain, the violation affects not one muscle, but their combination, for example, the flexor/extensor group of the feet. It is in this that the selective and uneven nature of this type of hypertonicity is manifested. Factors due to which it can occur are represented by strokes, brain injuries, various disorders of the nervous system, meningitis, sclerosis, hypoxia, phenylketonuria and other diseases.

Rigid increased muscle tone is also called plastic. It manifests itself if the extrapyramidal nervous system is affected. This system includes brain structures and nerve pathways that are directly involved in both the regulation and control of motor manipulations. As a result of this, a motor reaction is organized when laughing or crying, supported certain posture in space and so on. Distinctive feature The rigid variety is that the difficulty in performing passive motor manipulations is permanent, resulting in spasm of all muscles. The limbs freeze in the positions they were given. In some cases, a damaged pyramidal and extrapyramidal system can lead to a mixed type of hypertonicity. As a rule, the cause of this pathology are brain tumors.

Causes of increased muscle tone

Muscle hypertonicity in adults is not in all cases associated with pathology, a characteristic feature of which is the persistence of its increase. Sometimes it is associated with physiological causes:

1. Tired, tense muscles. Performing work for a long time period, the muscles lose energy, which leads to fading muscle fiber in a reduced state.
2. The duration of being in an uncomfortable or monotonous position. Since in such a situation the entire load is associated with a certain type of muscle, spasm occurs, as with overstrain. Very often the appearance of such a spasm in neck muscles observed in people who sit at the computer for a long time. Hypertonicity of the back muscles in adults is often found in those who work in the garden for a long time.
3. Protective response to pain. In this case, we are talking about the occurrence of pain syndrome, spastic hypertonicity as a kind of reaction, for example, damage to the spine leads to spasm of the corresponding muscles.
4. Bruises, back pain. In the presence of pathologies spinal column there is an increase in pain.

Muscle hypertonicity syndrome accompanies many different diseases. For example, it can be observed when:

• acute circulatory disorders of the brain, which leads to ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke;
• tumors of both the spinal cord and the brain;
• craniocerebral injuries;
• spastic form of torticollis;
• bruxism;
• dystonic syndrome;
• hepatic encephalopathy;
• infections of the central nervous system;
• multiple sclerosis.

If such a condition for an adult is a deviation, then for a newborn it is within the normal range. It has to do with the position of the baby in the womb. Prolonged intrauterine stay in the fetal position is accompanied by close contact of the limbs, chin and torso, which leads to muscle tension in the fetus. clenched fists, bent legs, tilting the head - all these are signs of hypertonicity of a monthly baby.

Preservation of muscle tension at the age of six months is a serious reason for contacting a qualified specialist.

Symptoms and treatment

Like any disease, muscle hypertonicity has its own symptoms. Increased muscle tone in adults is characterized by:

• tension, immobility;
• discomfort during movement;
• muscular stiffness;
• spontaneous active movements;
• increased tendon reflexes;
• a slow process of relaxation of muscles that have undergone spasm.

In addition, hypertension calf muscles in adults, it manifests itself as walking on "toes". This indicates the neglected nature of the disease from childhood. The occurrence of seizures is directly related to the tension of any muscle. With any mechanical impact, a person experiences severe pain. Hypertonicity of the muscles of the legs in adults as a result of prolonged stress leads to impaired blood circulation, the formation of painful seals.

Hypertonicity in newborns is characterized by:

• restless, short sleep;
• compressed state of the upper and lower extremities;
• tilted back position of the head;
• resistance that accompanies attempts to breed the upper, lower limbs of the baby;
• painful response to various stimuli, such as light;
• frequent spitting up.

In the presence of the described signs of increased muscle tone you should consult a doctor: a therapist or a neuropathologist. The rapid achievement of positive results of treatment is ensured by the timeliness of contacting a specialist. At the first stage of treatment, the underlying disease that provoked an increase in muscle tone is overcome. The second stage is corrective and aimed at facilitating therapy.

Muscle hypertonicity can be treated with:

1. relaxing massage;
2. physiotherapy exercises;
3. electrophoresis;
4. paraffin applications;
5. swimming;
6. medical treatment.

The main purpose of drug treatment is to minimize pain, normalize the functioning of the central nervous system. In each case, drug therapy may be associated with:

• relief of symptoms;
• reduction of spasmodic phenomena;
• facilitation of movement.

Similar goals are achieved with the use of muscle relaxants, neuroleptics.

Timely diagnosis of muscle hypertonicity, compliance with the treatment prescribed by the doctor, regular physical exercises will help to overcome the disease in short time and reduce the risk of possible complications.

Muscle tone is one of the physiological properties human body. The nature of this condition has not yet been established, but there are several theories that experts adhere to. Muscle tension at rest can change under the influence of external factors or diseases of the nervous system. There are two types of pathology: hypertonicity and hypotonicity. In the article we will consider in detail their symptoms and treatment.

The value of muscle tone

Tonic muscle tension is a normal physiological state of the human body, which is carried out at the reflex level. Without it, it would be impossible to perform many movements, as well as maintain the position of the body. Muscle tone keeps the body in readiness for active action. This is its main purpose.

What is the mechanism of muscle work with normal tone? If all the fibers of the tissue are involved in the movement, then at rest they replace each other. While some are tense, others are resting. Interestingly, the process is directly affected by the psycho-emotional state of a person. For example, a decrease in muscle tone leads to a decrease in performance and is observed mainly during sleep. The condition is accompanied by natural calmness: excessive excitement is significantly reduced.

The regulation of muscle tone is carried out with the help of alpha and gamma motor neurons, afferent fibers and spindles. The impulses come from the brain. The cerebellum, the midbrain (the red nucleus, the black substance, the quadrigemina) are responsible for maintaining muscle tone. When the neurons responsible for tonic tension are damaged, its disturbances occur: hypotension or hypertension of the muscles.

Diagnosis in adults

A change in tone can occur for various reasons. Most often, these are diseases of the nervous system or a complex psycho-emotional state. A neuropathologist or orthopedist deals with the problem of muscle tone disorders. To correctly diagnose, conduct an examination. Muscle tension is assessed in a relaxed state and during passive movements using special tests: head drop, supination-pronation, leg swing, shaking by the shoulders, and others.

Examination is quite difficult: not every patient can completely relax. At the same time, the qualification of the doctor is also important - the speed of passive movements affects the assessment of the condition. External factors can also distort the results: muscle tone changes under the influence of temperature and mental state. The most difficult situations require re-examination.

Tonus in children up to a year

In the womb, the fetus is located very closely, so all the muscles are in constant tension. After birth, the baby has physiological hypertonicity. In this case, the head is thrown back, and the legs and arms are brought to the body.

Which muscles are tense is affected by the position of the baby in the womb and in the birth process. For example, with facial presentation, there is an increased tone of the neck (the newborn throws his head back). In the “forward buttocks” position, the child’s legs are spread apart, forming an angle of 90 ° between them. Lying on the bed, the baby tries to take the usual fetal position.

Diagnosis of tone in babies

When conducting an examination, a pediatrician or neuropathologist assesses the state of the child's muscle tone according to the following signs:

• At 1 month, the baby, lying on his stomach, tries to raise his head and holds it for a few seconds. Legs make bending movements, as if crawling. If you put your hand under your feet, he will push off from it.
• By 3 months, the child holds his head confidently. If you raise it in a vertical position, the legs will make movements, as when walking. The child can lean on the foot. If you put him on his back and pull the handles, he will be pulled up by his own strength.
• Up to 6 months, the baby rolls over from his stomach to his back, tries to get on all fours, holds small objects in his hands.
• By the age of one, the child sits confidently, tries to walk with support, and develops on his own.

If the baby cannot perform one of the listed actions due to excessive tension or, conversely, muscle weakness, they speak of pathology. Additionally, the doctor evaluates the symmetry of the tone. To do this, alternately bend and unbend the arms and legs of the child. They also observe active movements in different positions of the body. A deviation from the norm is hypotonicity, hypertonicity, which persists even during sleep, and muscle dystonia.

Types of hypertonicity and the causes of its development

Increased muscle tone can manifest itself in different ways. Experts distinguish:

• Spasticity - develops due to craniocerebral and spinal injuries, meningitis, encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke. It is characterized by uneven distribution of hypertonicity, when only certain muscle groups are subjected to spasm.
• Rigidity is a sharp increase in tone skeletal muscle, arises as a result of diseases of the nervous system, the poisoning effects of certain poisons.
• Gegenhalten - a sharply increasing muscle resistance during passive movements of any type. It occurs in connection with the defeat of the mixed or corticospinal tracts in the frontal regions of the brain.
• Myotonia - characterized by slow relaxation of tense muscles after active movements.
• Psychogenic hypertension - during a seizure, a "hysterical arc" is formed.

In children, the cause of the development of hypertonicity is birth trauma, hypoxia in childbirth, damage to the nervous system and brain, meningitis, excessive excitability or hyperactivity.

Symptoms of hypertonicity

Hypertension of the muscles is expressed in their excessive tension in a relaxed state. The disease can be identified by the following signs:

• decreased motor function, muscle stiffness;
• seals;
• feeling of constant tension;
• soreness;
• spasms;
• significant muscle resistance during passive movements;
• in children, tearfulness, increased nervous excitability, an increase in muscle resistance when repeating flexion-extensor movements;
• in a vertical position with support on the legs, the baby presses the feet, standing on tiptoe;
• slowdown motor development child (does not sit down, does not crawl, does not walk at the right age).

It is not difficult to notice hypertonicity in an adult or a child, especially in the middle and severe stages. The gait changes, actions are carried out stiffly, with great difficulty. At the same time, babies are clamped and tense, often scream and sleep poorly, react painfully to any, even minor, noise. After eating, profuse regurgitation occurs.

Causes and symptoms of muscle hypotension

Weak muscle tone is characterized by low tissue tension in a relaxed state, which makes it difficult to actuate them. This happens mainly due to injury or disease. spinal cord, cerebellum or extrapyramidal disorders and cerebellar lesions. There are also attacks, during which the muscle tone temporarily decreases. This occurs in the acute phase of a stroke or in a midbrain tumor.

Weak muscle tone in children is less common than hypertension. Its appearance can be triggered by prematurity, slow brain development, damage to peripheral nerves during the birth process, congenital malformations, Down syndrome, rickets.

Symptoms of muscle hypotonia in babies are:

• lethargy, overly relaxed state;
• respiratory failure, inability to swallow, suck;
• weak motor activity;
• excessive sleepiness, poor weight gain.

Violation of muscle tone in the direction of its decrease can be observed in adulthood. This usually leads to various diseases: muscle dystrophy, sepsis, rickets, meningitis, Sandifer's syndrome. The condition is accompanied by physical weakness, reduced resistance to passive movements. When flexed, the joints unbend on their own, the muscles feel soft to the touch.

Muscular dystonia in adults and children

With muscle dystonia, uneven tone is observed. At the same time, there are signs of both hypotension and hypertension. The main symptoms of dystonia in children and adults are:

• excessive tension of certain muscles and relaxation of others;
• spastic contractions;
• legs or arms;
• fast or slow movements of certain parts of the body.

A condition develops in connection with genetic, infectious diseases, birth injuries, severe intoxications.

Treatment

Muscle tone is important to normalize in time, especially in childhood. The progression of symptoms leads to impaired movement, scoliosis, cerebral palsy, and delayed development. There are several treatment methods:

• massage for muscle tone nice results, for this, the muscles stroke, knead, stretch, train their strength, making physiological movements(flexion-extension);
• therapeutic gymnastics, including in water;
• physiotherapy: electrophoresis, ultrasound, treatment with heat, water and mud;
• in difficult cases, medications are used, among which vitamins of group B, dibazol, mydocalm can be prescribed.

With hypertonicity, the muscles try to relax with the help of stroking, healing injuries, light massage, stretch marks. With hypotension, on the contrary, they stimulate motor movements by performing muscle tone exercises. significantly improves the patient's condition.

Violation of muscle tone is a common problem in children of the first year of life and adults with diseases of the nervous system. It is quite easy to treat with the help of massages, less often - medicines. Mobility returns to normal, and there is no trace of the problem. The main thing is to start treatment on time, preventing serious violations and deviations in the development of the skeleton and muscles.

Content

Parents may sometimes notice that their children have physical development slightly behind the norm, there is a weak muscle tone. These symptoms cannot be ignored because they indicate health problems that need to be treated in time. As a rule, with such manifestations, SMD is diagnosed - muscular dystonia.

What is muscular dystonia

The word "dystonia" is of Latin origin. It translates as "violation of tone." Doctors under the term "muscular dystonia" understand a disease that affects the muscles of the baby or an adult. Deviations can be observed not only in the direction of a decrease (hypotonicity), but also an increase (hypertonicity). Muscles can be affected on one side or symmetrically on both sides. As a rule, the lower extremities are more prone to hypertonicity, and the arms are more likely to suffer from hypotonicity. The disease according to the ICD has the code G24.

Causes

Muscular dystonia syndrome is more common in infants, develops in most cases due to perinatal encephalopathy or standard brain damage during childbirth. Only in some cases does this occur even during fetal development. The baby can get such damage for the following reasons:

• detachment of the placenta;
• prolonged toxicosis of a pregnant woman;
• polyhydramnios during pregnancy;
• chronic fetal hypoxia;
• the threat of miscarriage of any nature;
• alcohol, nicotine intoxication during gestation;
• long waterless period;
• impact on the expectant mother of harmful factors;
• too rapid / protracted childbirth;
• caesarean section under general anesthesia;
• profuse blood loss during childbirth;
• entanglement of the umbilical cord inside the womb of the baby.

At the baby

In very young children, dystonic syndrome has pronounced symptoms from the very first days of life. Reduced muscle tone is easier for the baby and parents to tolerate: the child sleeps more, rarely cries. However, the baby noticeably later masters holding the head, turning over and other motor skills. The disease is accompanied by hypertonicity with the following symptoms:

• trembling of the chin;
• frequent crying;
• sleep disturbance;
• frequent regurgitation;
• anxiety.

In children and adolescents

The presence of muscular dystonia syndrome in older children (over 2 years old) indicates disorders in the functioning of the nervous system. This reason becomes a provoking factor, affects the functioning, muscle tone. With the timely detection of the disease, the prescribed treatment will be more effective. Muscle dystonia must be diagnosed by a pediatrician and a neurologist.

In adults

A decrease in muscle tone in adults occurs due to a malfunction in the functioning of neural connections within the basal ganglia. They are located deep in the brain, are responsible for controlling any movement, maintaining correct posture. An acquired increase or decrease in muscle tone in an adult can manifest itself for the following reasons:

• brain tumor;
• stroke;
• cerebral paralysis;
• brain injury;
• infection;
• chorea of ​​Huntington;
• lead poisoning;
• oxygen starvation;
• Wilson-Konovalov disease;
• drug treatment;
• encephalitis.

Primary (idiopathic) dystonia in most cases is transmitted from parents. The manifestations of the disease can vary widely among members of the same family. The disorder can manifest itself when performing some specific tasks, for example, writing by hand. Deterioration of the condition can occur when taking medications from certain groups of drugs. Doctors say that this disease does not affect cognitive abilities (communication skills, memory).

Types of disease and their symptoms

As the main diagnosis, hypertension or hypotonia of the muscles can be made in infancy. In adults, it manifests itself more often at the age of 40-60 years. Adolescents are much less likely to experience such a disease. Doctors divide this disease into two types:

1. Primary - manifests itself against the background of a genetic predisposition. It is diagnosed when other diseases, neurological damage are not capable of causing this syndrome.
2. Secondary SMD - a disorder occurs against the background of the underlying condition. In most cases, it is caused by neurological injuries, genetic damage that affects the nervous system.

The syndrome can have different degrees of manifestation. Specialists, based on the severity of symptoms, distinguish several stages of the condition in dystonic syndrome:

1. The first stage - it is characterized by a slight tension in the muscles, but the tone relatively quickly returns to normal.
2. The second is that the signs are more noticeable during movement, after some time and during rest.
3. The third is clearly noticeable physical disorders that occur due to prolonged muscle spasms (the foot, spine, cerebral palsy, torticollis are bent).

Muscle hypertonicity

Increased tone in this syndrome is characterized by excessive tension of the extensor, flexor muscles. Signs can be mild or pronounced, for example, the child only resists a little while changing clothes or does not give the opportunity to control his body at all. The main manifestations of hypertension in a child include:

• disturbing dream;
• tightly pressed legs, arms to the body;
• causeless crying;
• the head is thrown back;
• babies who have begun to walk move on their toes;
• disturbing dream;
• legs are strongly separated to the sides;
• movement resistance;
• attempts to roll over always only on one side;
• frequent vomiting.

Doctors say that there is no reason to panic when diagnosing muscle hypertension in infants. By six months, the syndrome, as a rule, disappears without a trace, the development of the child continues in the usual direction. Nevertheless, if you suspect muscular dystonia, you should definitely conduct an examination and seek advice from your doctor. You may need to undergo treatment.

Muscle hypotension

The reverse state of the above syndrome is muscular hypotension. Instead of increased activity, the child has lethargy, weakness on the part of this system. Often parents are glad that their baby is very calm, but it should be remembered that this may be a sign of dystonia that has begun. The main symptoms include:

• the baby does not hold his head well;
• lack of desire to move;
• sleeping too much;
• little crying, almost always calm;
• unable to hold anything in his hands.

How to treat impaired muscle tone

Treatment of SMD, as a rule, includes several directions at once and is complex. In infants, they first try to get by with only a general therapeutic massage, so as not to load the weak body with medicines. If the desired effect in eradicating the syndrome cannot be achieved, then the doctor's recommendations should not be abandoned. It is necessary to use all methods of treating this disease, which include:

• gymnastics;
• physiotherapy;
• baths;
• taking medications;
• special massage.

This syndrome is not a sentence, it responds well to treatment, especially in the early stages. If the course is successful, it is necessary to continue to be observed by a specialist for a long time in order to respond in time with the development of a relapse, possible negative consequences illness. the main task parents - carefully monitor the behavior, condition of their child and consult a specialist in time if you suspect the development of muscular dystonia.

Video

The most difficult thing to determine muscular dystonia in young children who are not yet able to say anything. An important factor in the successful treatment of this syndrome is timely access to a specialist, so it is important to understand how the disease manifests itself. The video below details the signs of SMD, methods of its treatment, gives the opinion of the famous pediatrician Komarovsky and an example of a simple massage for the disease.

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Muscle tone is the involuntary tension of our muscles. This process is permanent. Our consciousness and will do not control it.

Have you ever wondered how muscles tense up? What controls them? If the muscle tone is in a normal state, then we do not notice it. This is our usual state, which does not cause any discomfort. Despite the fact that we do not attach importance to this, the tone exists.

This is an important characteristic of our muscular system. It affects the state of all organs and systems. Without it, we will not be able to move normally, walk and even stand.

An important function of the skeletal muscles is to maintain their working condition. They must be in full readiness at any time, whether we are asleep or awake. And reflexively, the tone of the muscular system helps us maintain a certain position of our body.

What is the norm and what is the deviation

What is the difference between tonic muscle tension and normal? If the tension is arbitrary, then a number of muscle fibers are simultaneously activated.

Imagine that each fiber is a light bulb. During voluntary tension, the entire muscle will look like a bright fiery beam. But in the case of tonic tension, it will already resemble a sky strewn with stars. Notice the difference?

In the second case, the fibers will not all enter into work at once, but in turn: some tense up, while others rest. Thanks to this economy, the fibers can work for a very long time. In the distribution of tonic tension, the sensitivity of muscles and joints plays a decisive role.

Studies have shown that muscle tone can vary greatly from person to person. different people. Even for one person at different points in his life, this indicator will change. For example, when we sleep, the tone is lowered. During mental or physical work, it will increase, and during rest and rest it will decrease again. With a reduced tone, efficiency is lost, but a high tone will interfere with productive work.

It is curious that muscle tone can affect the state of the human psyche. As it turned out, when the tone changes, our emotions also undergo changes. Reducing it can calm a person and even put him to sleep. But mentally controlling this indicator is quite difficult.

Hypertonicity - about causes and consequences

If the muscles are in pathological high tone, the following signs can signal this:

• their density increased;
• does not leave the feeling of tension;
• you feel tight;
• movements are constrained;
• you feel muscle fatigue;
• the rate of muscle growth slowed down;
• often there are muscle spasms with acute pain.

There are two types of hypertension:

1. . On different muscle groups, the tone is disturbed in different ways.
2. Muscle rigidity. The tone is equally high in all muscle groups.

Why does hypertonicity appear

Most often, this pathology is associated with a violation of the nervous system. It is from her that signals come, after which the muscles relax or tighten. It is she who controls their tone. Increased muscle tone can appear for various reasons:

• cardiovascular diseases (they damage the central nervous system);
• neurological pathology congenital;
• due to injury, the brain or spinal cord was damaged;
• a person has demyelinating diseases.

And the tone may depend on the psychological state. Our central nervous system often perceives all sorts of shocks and stresses as a potential threat, and sets in motion muscle tone. Slightly affect the tone and weather conditions. In warm weather, the muscles are relaxed, and the cold provokes their tension.

Types of muscle tone disorder

Muscle tone disorders:

Muscle tone is observed in most newborns. At first, this is normal phenomenon. It is due to the fact that the baby after the fetal position must get used to the new position of the body. Do not be afraid if your baby has been diagnosed with muscular dystonia.

Tone is an important characteristic of the state of the nervous system of the child and his general condition. Violations of it can be a symptom of serious pathologies of the central nervous system, spinal cord and brain. For example, dystonia always accompanies elevated intracranial pressure.

Violations of tone can provoke delays in physical and mental development. Such babies later begin to crawl, sit, walk.

Therefore, it is worth showing the baby to a neurologist. Babies born are considered a special risk group. ahead of time, "caesareans", children with low weight.

The consequences of violations of tone for children can be different:

• posture, gait may deteriorate, sometimes clubfoot appears;
• hypertonicity can later turn into hyperexcitability, the child will be inattentive, study poorly, and begin to show aggression;
• hypotension leads to physical and psychological lethargy, apathy, hypodynamia, obesity, developmental delay.

It is important that parents monitor the condition of the child. For the first months, it is normal for the baby to stay in the fetal position. The newborn may experience increased muscle tension. For them, the physiological tone is normal. That is why even a newborn should not be left unattended on the changing table. He can actively move his legs, arms and even roll over.

Parents should be concerned if:

• the hips of the newborn are divorced more than 90 degrees, this is a symptom;
• spreading the hips of the child, you feel excessive resistance, this is a symptom of hypertonicity;
• a symptom of a violation of tone is an unnatural posture of the child in the crib. In pathology, it can shrink into a ball or, conversely, spread out like a frog;
• the child does not eat well, cries for no reason, throwing his head back;
• convulsions and fever are observed;
• the baby does not gurgle, does not smile.

You can not swaddle the baby tightly, even at night. With such swaddling, the child is in a very unnatural position. Doctors have noticed that babies who are not swaddled tightly are less likely to have impaired tone and neurological problems.

If, nevertheless, a correction of the tone is required, then most often it is prescribed massotherapy. It is prescribed to babies after a month and a half age.

Medical therapy is rarely used. The specific treatment will depend on the underlying causes. Do not be afraid of massage.

The main thing is that it should be performed by an experienced and qualified children's masseur. A good professional massage normalizes muscle tone, improves blood circulation, and stabilizes the nervous system.

It is useful for a child to do simple exercises:

1. Stroke his back, the legs of the handle. At the same time, it is impossible to affect the lumbar region.
2. Massage your palms, heels, fingers on legs and arms. Movements should not be strong and abrupt.
3. After three months baby can do more difficult exercises. They can be selected by a physiotherapy specialist.

To correct muscle tone, baths with herbs (soothing collection, motherwort, chamomile), sea salt will be useful.

Diagnostic tests

Special diagnostic tests will help determine the state of tone. The first examination of the baby is carried out in the hospital. Then, every six months, parents should show the baby to an orthopedist, a neurologist. Some manipulations for such a diagnosis can be performed by the parents themselves:

1. We part the hips. The baby lies on his back. You part his hips without any effort. The norm is moderate resistance. With a reduced tone, it is completely absent, and with an increased tone, it is too strong. A healthy baby should spread the legs 45 degrees on each side.
2. We sit the baby by the arms. The baby lies on its back. Pull the baby by the wrists as if you want to sit him down. The norm is a slight resistance to extension in the elbows of the hands. With a reduced tone, there will be no resistance, with an increased tone, it is excessive.
3. Step reflex and ground reflex. Holding under the armpits, place the baby on the changing table. To encourage you to take a step, lean forward slightly. Norma - the child stands and leans on the entire foot, his toes are straightened. While leaning forward, the baby should not cross the legs, imitates the process of walking. But after 1.5 months, this reflex fades. But with hypertonicity, it lasts longer. Symptoms of hypertonicity: pursed fingers, crossed legs. Symptoms of muscle hypotension in infants: steps on excessively bent legs (you must hold the baby under the armpits), squatting or refusing to walk.

Therapy Methods

As already mentioned, in case of violations of tone, professional therapeutic massage is often prescribed, less often - drug therapy. Most often, a neurologist prescribes a course of relaxing massage (10 professional sessions, which are repeated again after six months).

Also applies:

• special medical gymnastics;
• electrophoresis;
• swimming;
• relaxing baths with herbs (sage, valerian, motherwort, chamomile, soothing collection, needles) or sea salt;
• in more complex cases, drugs are prescribed (vascular drugs, nootropics, diuretics).

Important: Recently, pediatricians have agreed that jumpers and walkers can harm the child's muscular system and the entire musculoskeletal system. In them, the force of gravity is unevenly distributed. This leads to an excessive load on the spine and pelvis, muscle tension, the child gets used to not standing completely on the foot.

Remember that as you reach middle age, muscle tone may drop. It won't be too much to do therapeutic gymnastics or moderate loads gym. Remember that muscle tone directly depends general state your body, performance and emotional state!

Normal muscle contractility ensures the harmonious physical and mental development of the child. Muscle tone in infants can be physiological and pathological. To physiological states increased muscle tone in the first weeks after birth. Further, the tone should be normalized. If a child still has increased muscle tone two weeks after birth, this phenomenon is called hypertonicity and belongs to the category of pathological conditions.

Hypertonicity of the muscles of the newborn is an understandable phenomenon. Inside the womb, the child was in a shackled state. His limbs were tightly pressed to his body, there was no room for movement.

After birth, the baby's body gradually gets used to the new conditions. During the first two weeks, the muscles gradually relax, the limbs come to a new state. However, if the baby has CNS lesions of varying severity, the brain will not be able to fully control muscle activity. In this case, the state of the muscles will deviate from normal.

Preservation of hypertonicity during the first month of life should be the reason for the examination of the child by a neurologist.

Age norms

The following development of the situation is considered normal.

Pathology can be suspected from birth. Problems with the central nervous system are often expressed in the syndrome of muscle hypertonicity. In such children, all movements are constrained, the dilution of the lower extremities is no more than 45 o. The arms and legs are firmly pressed to the body, and the fingers cannot be unclenched.

What should alert

Hypertonicity syndrome prevents further development child, the formation of joints and ligaments is disturbed. Preservation of the state can lead to impaired motor skills, motor activity and the formation of the spine, posture.

If after the first month of life, muscle hypertonicity in an infant persists, in the future it has the following symptoms.

1. The child is restless, sleeps poorly, wakes up in less than an hour, and cries frequently.
2. The baby burps profusely after every meal.
3. During sleep, the child arches its back and throws back its head. This is a characteristic feature of hypertonicity. At the same time, his arms and legs are bent and pressed to the body.
4. During a tantrum, the child is tense and bends. In a nervous state, trembling of the chin is noted.
5. The baby is able to keep his head in an upright position from birth.
6. When breeding the legs to the sides, a strong muscle tension is felt. When you try again, the tension intensifies. The child resists, protests with a cry.
7. In an upright position, the baby does not rest on the surface with the whole foot, it stands on its toes.

The existing signs of hypertonicity should encourage parents to seek advice from a neurologist.

On examination, the doctor reveals the presence or absence of certain reflexes in the child and their compliance with the age norm.

1. Walk reflex. In an upright position, the baby tends to take steps. Normally, this ability disappears after 2 months of age.
2. Symmetry of reflections. In the supine position, the child's chin is pressed against the chest. At the same time, the behavior of the limbs is observed - flexion of the arms and extension of the legs should occur. When the head is tilted to the right, straightening of the limbs is observed with right side and tension on the left. When you turn your head to the other side, everything happens exactly the opposite. This reflex should disappear after 3 months.
3. The ability to tone. In the prone position, the baby should tighten the limbs. In the supine position, the arms and legs are relaxed. After three months, the ability disappears.
4. When examining a newborn, the doctor places the child on his arm face down. In this position, the baby should experience contraction of the arms and relaxation of the legs. The head and back should normally be in a straight line.

Parents can detect symptoms on their own. If they suspect a violation, they should consult a doctor. A neurologist will be able to determine the presence or absence of a diagnosis and establish its type.

Nature of violations

Muscle tone can be either increased or decreased. Sometimes there is an imbalance - a combination of the first and second. In other words, increased tone of the muscles of the arms and reduced tone of the lower extremities may be present at the same time, or vice versa. This symptom is called dystonia.

With asymmetry, muscle hypertonicity occurs only on one side. This condition is also called torticollis. The child is placed in a prone position and viewed from the back. With asymmetry, the head is turned towards that half of the body where hypertonicity is manifested. On the same side, there is a bend in the back and tension in the arms.

Hypotension is also considered a violation. This phenomenon has symptoms inverse to hypertonicity, manifests itself in lethargy and impaired motor activity.

Muscular hypertonicity and hypotonicity may not appear systemically, but in separate parts of the body. In this case, there is a decrease or increase in muscle tone only of the arms, legs or back.

Violation of muscle tone is not an independent disease, but indicates other, more serious pathologies of the nervous system. That is why the symptoms of hypertension should not be ignored. When a child's syndrome is detected, it is necessary to comprehensively examine it. In this case, an ultrasound of the brain is done, and in rare cases, a tomogram.

Possible reasons

The causes of CNS damage can lie both in problems associated with pregnancy and in complications during childbirth.

Scroll possible causes lesions of the central nervous system in a child that caused a violation of muscle tone:

• infectious diseases of the mother during pregnancy;
• wrong lifestyle of a pregnant woman;
• taking medications by the mother during pregnancy;
• Rhesus conflict future mother and fetus;
• injuries received by the child during childbirth;
• genetic incompatibility of parents;
• unfavorable environmental situation.

The presence of these factors can only indirectly confirm the presence of a symptom of hypertonicity in a child.

Treatment should be aimed not only at correcting muscular dystonia, but also at identifying and eliminating the underlying cause that caused the condition.

Methods of treatment

In the treatment of muscle tone disorders, non-drug methods are primarily used:

• massage techniques;
• water procedures (bathing in herbal infusions of valerian, motherwort, sage, excluding diving);
• gymnastic exercises, with the exception of dynamic gymnastics;
• physiotherapy;
• osteopathic techniques.

When appointed medicines those that are able to improve cerebral circulation, establish metabolic processes and reduce muscle tension are selected.

Minor violations can hide serious causes. The harmonious development of the child should spread in all planes. Deviation in one area may lead to a violation in another area. Alarming symptoms of changes in muscle tone should not be ignored. On examination, the doctor will be able to determine in which direction to move on, what examination and treatment the child may need.