Dystonia is a special muscle disease that is characterized by their hypotension or hypertonicity. It is considered normal when a newborn baby's arms and legs are bent, so starting to unbend them, you can feel a little resistance. Children's massage and gymnastics with muscle dystonia allow you to tone the muscles, eliminating all kinds of pathologies.
Why does this disease occur?
Most often, this ailment occurs due to a violation of the baby's blood circulation even during the prenatal period or when it is born. There may be several causes of circulatory disorders. Most often, dystonia in infants occurs due to poor health of the mother herself. This is especially true for women taking alcohol, as well as smoking cigarettes. A woman who does not monitor her health risks not only disrupting her own blood circulation, but also the bloodstream of her unborn baby.
Sometimes dystonia becomes a consequence of a very difficult birth. The muscle tone in a child may also depend on many other factors. For example, a baby may get an infection of the nervous system. It is not excluded and the displacement of the bones of the skull during childbirth.
Diagnostics
In fact, a disease such as dystonia in infants is easy to identify. This is done by a neurologist during the examination.
If the baby has an increased muscle tone, then taking it by the armpits, and slightly lifting it, you will notice how its legs will be compressed. If muscle tone is reduced, then the baby will not show any resistance to flexion and extension of the limbs.
If the baby in a lying position begins to wriggle in an arc, while on the one side the skin folds are visible much more strongly than on the other, then this indicates the development of asymmetry of the body.
Treatment features
Muscular dystonia, the treatment of which is described in this article, is treated by eliminating the causes of its development. In this case, you can not self-medicate. All procedures should be carried out only by an experienced specialist.
And so, usually treatment involves several stages, namely:
- children's massage and gymnastics with muscular dystonia;
- reflexology;
- conservative treatment aimed at improving blood circulation.
The best effect can only be achieved if complex treatment is used. However, the main methods are children's massage and gymnastics with muscular dystonia.
Massage Features
Specialists recommend a massage in the first half of the day, at least an hour after the baby has eaten. Be sure to ventilate the room, it should not be stuffy. Massage the baby can only be done after you have carefully lubricated your hands with oil or baby cream.
You need to start the procedure with stroking, and then proceed to rubbing. If the baby suffers from hypertension, then during the massage special attention is paid to the baby's limbs. The doctor shakes them one by one and sways from side to side. But with hypotension, the specialist uses the edge of the palm and knuckles, and will go through them throughout the body. Massage should end with exactly the same strokes as the doctor did at the beginning of the session.
Massage a baby suffering from asymmetry of the body needs to be done special. In this case, one part of the body needs to be relaxed, while the other should be toned.
Gymnastics
Children's massage and gymnastics with muscular dystonia must be carried out comprehensively. Only in this case, you can count on a good result.
Gymnastic exercises primarily depend on what kind of problems the baby faced. If the muscles are in hypertonicity, then gymnastics should consist in performing passive exercises. In this case, experts recommend simply stretching the muscles.
But with hypotension, in addition to stretching the muscles, you also need to do exercises that will help bring them into tone. Doctors recommend purchasing a gym ball. With its help, you can work out all the muscles of the body of the baby well.
Massage therapy and gymnastics will help your baby to return to normal after giving birth. Thus, his muscle tone will be improved, and motor abilities will be restored. It is best to entrust the conduct of such procedures to an experienced specialist. However, exercises and massage can also be done at home. Attend several sessions in the hospital and you will know how to correctly and safely perform all movements.
You need to start taking care of the baby’s health before starting pregnancy. A woman should eat right and lead a healthy lifestyle. Only in this case is there a great chance that the baby will be born healthy. Dystonia in infants is not a sentence. Such a pathology is eliminated very simply. The main thing is to pay attention to it in time and immediately begin treatment.