Muscular dystonia: causes, symptoms and treatment methods

Muscular dystonia is an uncontrolled contraction or relaxation of muscle tissue, which is most often manifested in infants. Sometimes the disease is diagnosed in adult patients. As a result of this pathological condition, a person has to take a forced position. Such a syndrome often affects the limbs.

General description of the disease

According to ICD-10, muscular dystonia has the code G24. Normally, there should be no arbitrary muscle contractions. If the child is born without problems and does not have developmental disabilities, he may experience hypertonicity, which disappears after several months. In premature babies, muscle weakness is manifested - hypotension.

In the presence of dystonia in a child, soft tissues develop incorrectly. As a result, muscle atrophy occurs. In addition, he has unpleasant symptoms, pain. An even greater danger to the baby arises if the pathological process spreads to the respiratory muscles.

Causes of occurrence

Muscular dystonia is primary or secondary. The etiology of its appearance is different. In the first case, the hereditary factor, gene mutations, and idiopathic causes affect. Secondary dystonia develops due to congenital neurological disorders, external factors. The reasons for the development of pathology are as follows:

1. Problems with the functionality of the nervous system.
2. Birth trauma or complex pregnancy in the mother, chronic fetal hypoxia.
3. Taking certain types of medications.
4. Hereditary degenerative pathologies of the nervous system.
5. Focal damage to the blood vessels of the brain.
6. Exposure to toxic substances on the body.
7. Malignant or benign brain tumor.
8. Infectious pathologies.
9. Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

There may be more reasons for the development of muscular dystonia. For their accurate determination requires careful diagnosis.

Developmental stages

Pathology develops gradually. On this path, it goes through several stages:

• First one. Symptoms have not yet appeared, but damage to the nervous system is already present.
• The second one. The child is disturbed by sleep, he becomes irritable. The baby's arms and legs are constantly bent.
• The third. Physical activity requires considerable effort from the child. There is a pain syndrome that does not go away even at rest.
• Fourth. Lag in physical development can be seen with the naked eye.
• Fifth. In a child, motor abilities are significantly impaired . Pathological changes in the muscles at this stage are not always reversible.

Muscular dystonia requires an integrated approach to treatment, so you should not hesitate to visit a doctor.

Symptomatology

Symptoms of muscular dystonia in children and adults vary slightly. The following manifestations can be distinguished:

1. In infants, twitching of the arms and legs is observed, and this condition does not depend on what they are doing. A characteristic feature of this disease is the prolonged presence of an embryo pose after the birth of a baby.
2. In children from 2 years of age, a violation of the turn of the hands, feet, and trunk is manifested. The child constantly walks on toes. It is difficult for him to hold in his hands some toys or objects. If you do not start therapy in a timely manner, then the baby will lose walking skills, and also will not be able to service himself in the future.
3. Muscular dystonia in adults is manifested in convulsions, stiffness of affected muscle groups, twisting of the neck and its distortion. The patient's handwriting noticeably worsens, he often blinks. Pain is constantly present in the muscles, movements of the lower jaw are involuntary. Voice and speech also change.

Improper treatment of muscle dystonia in infants is fraught with a violation of its physical and mental development. In adult patients, the state of health will also not improve. Therefore, you need to consult a doctor with the appearance of the first symptoms of a pathology.

Types of disease

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to consider the types of muscular dystonia. Pathology can be classified as follows:

After the causes are determined, the development of the syndrome of muscle dystonia, as well as the form of its development, you can proceed to the treatment of the disease.

Diagnostic Features

The presented disease can be confused with other disorders, so the diagnosis should be differential and as accurate as possible. To make a diagnosis of “muscular dystonia”, a thorough examination is required, including:

1. Neurological examination, in which the specialist determines the presence of the characteristic posture for the disease.
2. A history of pregnancy and childbirth.
3. Laboratory tests that show how good is the exchange of copper in the body.
4. Electroencephalography, in which the presence of functional or organic lesions of the brain is revealed.
5. CT and MRI. Such a diagnosis is the most informative and allows you to identify the cause of the development of dystonia.
6. Neurosonography
7. Electroneurography.
8. Dopplerography of blood vessels.

The patient requires consultation of several specialists: therapist, neurologist. If muscular dystonia is observed in the baby, then a neonatologist examination is necessary.

Traditional treatment

Therapy must be comprehensive. In addition to medications that improve the functionality of the nervous system, the patient is also prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures, massage courses. In especially severe cases, surgical intervention is required. As for medicines, the patient may be prescribed such:

1. Preparations for regulating the neurotransmitter GABA: "Baclofen", "Diazepam".
2. Dopaminergic drugs: Levadop, Tetrabenazine.
3. Anticholinergics: "Trihexyphenidyl."

Recently, botulinum toxin injections have been used to treat muscle dystonia . In small doses, it helps prevent spasm. However, it does not help to completely get rid of the pathology, since it lasts only a few months. A positive effect is observed only 2-3 days after the start of therapy.

The general course of drug treatment lasts about 1-2 months. It is not recommended to use any drugs on their own, especially for infants.

Surgery involves the implantation of miniature electrodes in certain areas of the brain. They control muscle movements. An intervention of this type is prescribed only if treatment with drugs does not give a positive effect.

Use of physiotherapeutic procedures

They also give a positive effect, but they should be used in conjunction with drug treatment. Perfectly help relieve spasm of the bath based on lavender oil or needles extract. They are especially useful for infants, as they calm the nervous system.

Among the most effective physiotherapeutic procedures are the following:

1. Mud therapy.
2. Thermal and water treatments.
3. Ultrasound Therapy
4. Electrophoresis with the use of drugs.
5. The Darsonval.

Alternative methods can also be used: acupuncture. Often, specialists prescribe a kinesitherapy course for children. It should be prescribed only by a neurologist. Before this, it is worthwhile to find out the individual characteristics of the child's body.

Folk remedies

Folk recipes can be included in complex therapy, but this question is best discussed with a doctor. For infants, decoctions of herbs that are added to the bath are useful, which helps to relax the body.

For adult patients, hirudotherapy will be beneficial. Here, a leech blood is considered a healing agent. She has a lot of useful substances. To relieve stress, you can apply grass motherwort, a string, pharmacy chamomile, peppermint.

Massage and exercise therapy

Massage for muscular dystonia, as well as physiotherapy exercises have a positive effect on the general condition of the baby's body. Every day the following gymnastics is carried out with the child:

• Swinging the patient on a fitball ball, as well as in the position of the embryo in the arms.
• Flexion of the limbs.
• Water aerobics.

As for massage, this method of combating the disease is the safest. At first, all the movements are made by a specialist, but the mother who was present at the procedure can eventually carry them out at home independently. Stroking, rubbing and kneading the baby should be done carefully. Massage is also shown to an adult patient. The choice of movements will depend on the form and degree of neglect of the disease.

For the implementation of the massage, certain conditions are necessary:

1. The room should be ventilated, and the temperature in it should not be less than 22 degrees.
2. It is better to carry out the procedure an hour after eating.
3. Hands should be clean. Additionally, they should be applied a special oil or cream.
4. If the patient experiences severe pain or discomfort, then the procedure should be discontinued.

The duration of the procedure does not exceed 15 minutes. Massage should be done regularly. Only in this case will it be possible to achieve a positive effect.

Possible complications

The presented pathology is dangerous for its consequences. The most severe of these is cerebral palsy, which cannot be completely eliminated. This pathology completely changes the patient's lifestyle.

A prolonged violation of muscle tone negatively affects the spinal column in particular and the supporting system as a whole. Due to dystonia, the following complications arise:

• Clubfoot.
• Lameness and gait changes due to this.
• Spinal curvature.
• Pathology of the general physical and mental development of the child in the future.
• Constant pain that can only be removed with drugs.
• Mental retardation.

This is only a small number of complications that are possible due to muscular dystonia. In order to prevent their occurrence, it is necessary to turn to specialists in time and undergo treatment.

Pathology Prevention

Specific prophylaxis, which could 100% protect against muscular dystonia, does not exist. However, it is worth observing some rules:

• Avoid the influence of negative factors on the fetus during pregnancy.
• To refuse from bad habits.
• In time to treat any infectious or inflammatory processes that may affect the nervous system.
• Regularly undergo a routine examination, and not only during pregnancy.
• If there is the slightest suspicion of damage to the muscles or nervous system, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Muscular dystonia is a difficult disease that is fraught with serious consequences. Not all of them can be eliminated, so you can not ignore the symptoms.