Muscle tone is one of the physiological properties of the 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 hypotension. The article 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 a reflex level. Without it, it would be impossible to perform many movements, as well as maintain the position of the body. Muscle tone supports the body in readiness for action. This is its main purpose.
What is the mechanism of muscle work with normal tone? If all fibers of the tissue are involved in the movement, then at rest they replace each other. While some are tense, others are resting. It is interesting that the process is directly affected by the psychoemotional state of a person. For example, a decrease in muscle tone leads to a decrease in working capacity and is observed mainly during sleep. The condition is accompanied by natural calm: excessive excitement is significantly reduced.
Regulation of muscle tone is carried out using alpha and gamma motor neurons, afferent fibers and spindles. Impulses come from the brain. The basal nucleus, cerebellum, midbrain (red core, black substance, quadruple, reticular formation) are responsible for maintaining muscle tone . With the defeat of the neurons responsible for tonic tension, its disturbances arise: hypotension or muscle hypertension.
Diagnosis in adult patients
A change in tone can occur for various reasons. Most often these are diseases of the nervous system or a complex psycho-emotional state. The neuropathologist or orthopedist deals with the problem of muscle tone disturbance. To correctly diagnose, conduct an examination. Muscle tension is assessed in a relaxed state and with passive movements with the help of special tests: head fall, supination-pronation, leg swaying, shaking of the shoulders and others.
Inspection is rather difficult: not every patient can completely relax. At the same time, the qualification of the doctor is 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.
Tone 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 handles are brought to the body.
What muscles are tense is affected by the position of the baby in the womb and in the birth process. For example, with facial presentation, an increased tone of the neck is observed (the newborn throws his head back). In the “forward buttocks” position, the child’s legs are spread apart, forming a 90 ° angle between them. Lying on the bed, the baby tries to take the usual position of the embryo.
Diagnosis of tonus in babies
Conducting an examination, a pediatrician or neurologist assesses the state of muscle tone of the child according to the following criteria:
- At 1 month, the baby, lying on his stomach, tries to raise the head and holds it for several seconds. Performs flexion movements with his feet, as if creeping. If you put your hand under the feet, he will push off from it.
- By 3 months the baby confidently holds his head. If you raise it in an upright position, the legs will make movements, as when walking. The child can lean on the foot. If you put it on your back and pull the handles, it will be pulled by your own forces.
- Up to 6 months, the baby turns over from the stomach to the back, tries to stand on all fours, holds small objects in his hands.
- By the year the child sits confidently, tries to walk with support, and he himself develops fine motor skills.
If the baby can not perform one of these actions due to excessive tension or, conversely, muscle weakness, they talk about pathology. Additionally, the doctor assesses the symmetry of the tone. For this, the arms and legs of the child are alternately bent and unbent. They also observe active movements in different positions of the body. Deviation from the norm is hypotonic, hypertonicity, which persists even during sleep, and dystonia of the muscles.
Types of hypertonicity and the reasons for its development
Increased muscle tone can manifest itself in different ways. Specialists distinguish between:
- 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 the tone of skeletal muscles, occurs due to diseases of the nervous system, the poisoning effect of some poisons.
- Gegenhalten - sharply increasing muscle resistance with passive movements of any type. It occurs in connection with the defeat of the mixed or corticospinal paths in the frontal parts of the brain.
- Myotonia - characterized by a slowdown in the relaxation of tense muscles after active movements.
- Psychogenic hypertension - a “hysterical arc” is formed during a seizure.
In children, the cause of hypertension is birth trauma, labor hypoxia, damage to the nervous system and brain, meningitis, excessive excitability or hyperactivity.
Symptoms of Hypertonicity
Muscle hypertension is expressed in excessive tension in a relaxed state. The disease can be identified by the following signs:
- decreased motor function, stiffness in the muscles;
- seals;
- feeling of constant tension;
- soreness;
- cramping
- significant muscle resistance during passive movements;
- in children, tearfulness, increased nervous excitability, an increase in muscle resistance when repeating flexion-extensor movements;
- in an upright position with support on the legs, the baby tightens his feet, becoming on tiptoe;
- slowing down the motor development of the child (does not sit down, does not creep, does not walk at the right age).
It is not difficult to notice hypertonicity in an adult or a child, especially in the moderate and severe stages. The gait changes, actions are carried out constrained, with great difficulty. At the same time, the kids are clamped and tense, often scream and sleep poorly, they react painfully to any, even insignificant, noise. After eating, abundant regurgitation occurs.
Causes and symptoms of muscle hypotension
Weak muscle tone is characterized by a low tension of the tissue in a relaxed state, which makes it difficult to bring them into action. This occurs mainly due to injuries or diseases of the spinal cord, cerebellum or extrapyramidal disorders and cerebral injuries. There are attacks, during which the muscle tone temporarily decreases. This occurs in the acute phase of a stroke or in a tumor of the midbrain.
Weak muscle tone in children is less common than hypertension. Its appearance can be triggered by prematurity, delayed brain development, damage to peripheral nerves during the birth process, congenital malformations, Down syndrome, rickets.
Symptoms of muscle hypotension in babies are:
- lethargy, too relaxed state;
- respiratory failure, inability to swallow, suck;
- weak motor activity;
- excessive drowsiness, poor weight gain.
Violation of muscle tone in the direction of its decline can be observed in adulthood. Various diseases usually lead to this: muscle dystrophy, sepsis, rickets, meningitis, Sandifer syndrome. The condition is accompanied by physical weakness, decreased resistance when performing passive movements. The joints flex when they bend, the muscles feel soft to the touch.
Muscular dystonia in adults and children
With muscle dystonia, an 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;
- involuntary movements of the legs or arms;
- fast or slow movements of certain parts of the body.
The condition develops in connection with genetic, infectious diseases, birth injuries, severe intoxications.
Treatment
It is important to normalize muscle tone 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 with muscle tone gives good results, for this, muscles are stroking, kneading, stretching, training their strength, making physiological movements (flexion-extension);
- medical gymnastics, including in water;
- physiotherapy: electrophoresis, ultrasound, treatment with heat, water and mud;
- in difficult cases, medications are used, including group B vitamins, dibazole, midocalm.
With hypertonicity, they try to relax the muscles by stroking, healing injuries, light massage, stretching. With hypotension, on the contrary, they stimulate motor movements by performing muscle tone exercises. Motor activity 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, not allowing serious violations and deviations in the development of the skeleton and muscles.