Hypertonicity of the calf muscles. What is muscle hypertonicity in adults?

Muscle tone is muscle tension during complete relaxation of a person. This helps maintain posture, stay internal organs in a certain position and taking the body in certain poses.

In case of increase (hypertonicity), the muscles are constantly tense. This leads to pain and movement is constrained. Secondary changes occur in muscles and joints. Hypertonicity indicates that the nervous system is damaged.

Causes of the violation

Increased muscle tone can occur when:

diseases of blood vessels and heart, as a result of which the central nervous system is damaged;
congenital pathologies of the central nervous system;
in which the brain or spinal cord is damaged;
demyelinating diseases.

Changes occurring in mental and emotional state, do not have significant influence to increase muscle tone.

Types and causes of increased tone

With the spastic form of hypertonicity, nerve centers and motor pathways are damaged; it is not distributed to all muscle groups, but selectively. leads to speech difficulties, difficulty moving, muscle pain, and involuntary crossing of legs.

The reasons for this condition may be:

With rigid (plastic) hypertonicity, spasm of all muscles occurs simultaneously. It occurs if the brain or spinal cord is affected, with toxin poisoning, or hypnosis. These factors lead to uncontrolled limb positions.

Features of the clinical picture

Increased muscle tone is easily determined. He is accompanied by:

the appearance of tension in the body;
inactivity;
the appearance of discomfort during movement;
muscle stiffness and spasms;
spontaneous movements;
increased tendon reflexes;
Muscles subject to spasms relax slowly.

During movement, muscle tone increases, which leads to pain in the back and legs. Physical exercises and stress contribute to the occurrence of temporary cramps and nagging pain in certain muscles. The person feels constrained.

Repeated occurrences of such conditions may indicate the onset of serious illnesses.

If muscle spasticity has become advanced, the muscle becomes more dense. Any physical impact causes severe pain.

Features of infantile hypertonicity

Lack of oxygen, vitamins for the fetus during pregnancy, injuries during childbirth and other reasons can lead to hypertonicity in the newborn. However, even a normal pregnancy and childbirth cannot guarantee that the child will not have elevated muscle tone.

Often the tension goes away when the child reaches one and a half years and is not a serious disorder. Only a neuropathologist can diagnose hypertonicity.

Reasons that should alert parents:

the child's sleep is disturbed;
the baby becomes nervous, cries constantly, and there is a trembling of the chin;
eats poorly, often vomits after eating food;
when he sleeps, he flexes his arms and legs convulsively and throws his head back;
began to hold his head up at the age of one month (with muscle spasm of the neck and back of the head);
there is stiffness in movements, when you try to remove your arms and legs from the body, you begin to cry;
If you stand the child and hold him under the armpits, the baby moves his legs, imitating a gait. A child with hypertonicity will stand on tiptoes, while healthy child rests on the entire foot.

Massage, medicinal baths, paraffin wrap and affection from parents will help return tone to normal. You can use aromatherapy and fitball exercises.

In any case, when dangerous symptoms It is necessary to consult a specialist, since hypertonicity indicates a more serious illness.

Diagnostics and treatment methods

If obvious symptoms of increased muscle tone appear, an urgent diagnosis is necessary. This will indicate a specific disease. To do this, experts resort to:

(MRI);
(EMG) – study of the bioelectric potential of a muscle with excited muscle fibers;
a blood test is performed.

Treatment for increased muscle tone involves overcoming the disease that causes hypertonicity, as well as relieving the symptoms of tension themselves.

Comprehensive treatment of muscle hypertonicity is:

For prevention purposes it is necessary:

use of postural hygiene;
moderate exercise;
stretching and relaxing muscles;
drinking large amounts of water;
preventive use of physiotherapy and massage, exposure of muscles to cold and heat, avoidance of stress.

Hypertonicity requires long-term and complex treatment. Therefore, when it first appears, you must immediately seek medical help.

Muscle tone problems are one of the manifestations of diseases of the nervous system. Among them, hypertension is considered the most common disease.

Muscle tone is the residual tension of the main muscle groups when they relax, as well as during increased physical activity. In addition, this may be part of the resistance to passive movements during voluntary relaxation of the muscles of various groups. Muscle tone can be characterized as minimal muscle tension that persists against a background of relaxation and rest.

Changes in tone can be caused by painful conditions and traumatic injuries different levels muscular system body. Depending on what specific disorder occurs, the tone may be increased or decreased. In clinical practice, doctors most often encounter the concept of hypertonicity - increased muscle tone. His common features are muscle tension, excess density and low range of motion. The person feels some discomfort, the amplitude of his movements decreases. He may feel better after massage or mechanical rubbing of the skin surface. Moderate hypertonicity is characterized by muscle spasms that cause acute pain. More difficult situations are characterized by muscle tightening, resulting in a rather painful response to mechanical stress.

Why is muscle hypertonicity dangerous?

Muscle hypertonicity is dangerous at any age, but it is especially dangerous for children. Parents must definitely respond to its manifestations, because if measures are not taken, the following consequences are possible:

persistent disturbances in normal coordination of movements;
violations of the full development of motor skills;
poor posture and heavy gait;
frequent and severe pain in the lumbar spine;
speech problems at all stages of development.

Also, muscle hypertonicity is very dangerous in adults at any age. It can cause the following consequences:

disturbances in normal coordination of movements;
development of persistent and severe pain in muscles and joints;
disturbances in normal gait;
heaviness in posture and movements;
disruption of the normal blood circulation process in the muscles.

The danger of hypertonicity of muscle groups also lies in the unpredictability of the time of its detection. The consequences may appear many years later in the form of the development of pathological conditions and failure of the functioning of many vital organs and systems.

Types of increased muscle tone

The types of increased muscle tone vary among patients depending on their age and gender. Below are several main options for the described condition.

Plastic

This is the name of a special muscle condition skeletal muscles which occurs as a result of organic or functional disorders of the brain. It is part of a condition that is interpreted as catalepsy. The manifestations of this type of hypertonicity are explained by the development in the body of a condition in which the functions of formations in the subcortex of the brain are disrupted. Treatment is prescribed mainly inpatient, as a result of which the consequences of what is happening are treated and all associated symptoms are eliminated.

With plastic hypertonicity, persistent disturbances in the functioning of muscle groups that have undergone enslavement are observed, as well as destruction of cells of the subcortex of the brain over time. Symptoms develop and external signs stochastic spasm in the muscle groups affected by the tone.

Spastic

This type of hypertonicity is characterized by uniform involuntary contractions of muscle groups in the main areas of the lesion. It is accompanied by persistent pain in the described areas, which are likely to recur later. Spastic spasms are periodic, occurring at regular intervals, and constant, which are characterized by regularity and persistent nature of the course. This type of the described condition is characterized by persistent impairment of motor coordination in the future, the development of neuralgia of the affected muscle groups and regular disorders of motor activity. Treatment in this case is symptomatic, aimed at eliminating external symptoms, depending on the type of manifestation in each specific situation. It is observed mainly in elderly people, with cases of its occurrence in adolescents and relatively young people.

Causes of high tone

The causes of high muscle tone are not always associated with dysfunction of various organs and systems of the body. They can also be purely physiological:

Excessive load on the back muscles. This happens in cases where they need to work for a long period of time, due to the complete depletion of the energy reserves at their disposal. As a result, muscle fibers freeze in a certain position. Mobility is restored with great difficulty; it requires a lot of large number energy.
Frequently being in an uncomfortable position. This is a very common reason, statistically occurring in approximately 65% of all cases. This especially applies to people who work a lot and for a long time at the computer. In such a case, the load falls on the cervical spine. Gardeners suffering from increased hypertonicity of the back muscles have similar prerequisites. Which is quite difficult to eliminate.
The body's response to pain. Muscle spasm is very often an involuntary reaction to muscle pain. Spinal muscle spasms are observed in cases where there are injuries to the thoracic, cervical and lumbar spine. The spine suffers greatly and experiences significant inconvenience.
Stress and constant bruises.

Common diseases often lead to hypertension. Of all their diversity, the following can be noted:

the occurrence of tumors in the patient’s brain;
strokes;
Parkinson's disease;
epilepsy attacks;
frequent cases of tetanus;
multiple sclerosis;
cerebral palsy;
other possible disorders of muscle and motor activity.

The list can be continued endlessly. High tone in a patient can be noted at any age and observed due to a variety of circumstances. A correct understanding of the causes of what is happening is the basis for prescribing measures to eliminate such a disease.

Characteristic symptoms

The signs of the described condition are varied and depend on the age of the patient and the nature of his health condition. Basically, the symptoms come down to some of the manifestations described below.

In children

Symptoms of high muscle tone in children include the following:

the child begins to firmly hold his head significantly ahead of schedule;
By about the third month of his life, the baby still does not know how to open his palm in order to grab and hold the thing he needs;
the baby's head constantly tilts in the same direction;
the child’s chin constantly trembles and twitches, it often arches and his head throws back;
in case of hypertonicity in a child on his back, he often spits up and regularly vomits.

These symptoms are not permanent and may change over time. In addition, depending on the age of the baby, as he grows up, they can be diluted with other manifestations.

In adults

Hypertonicity in adults manifests itself somewhat differently. Among its main symptoms are the following:

severe, persistent pain in the affected parts of the back;
impaired coordination of movements;
a feeling of muscle congestion when staying in a certain body position for a long time;
disruptions in motor activity;
difficulty staying in a certain position for a long time;
development of problems with the musculoskeletal system;
other symptoms characteristic of the type of disease in question.

In an adult, symptoms may change over time and depend on his general physiological condition. With the development of symptoms of this phenomenon, there is a worsening general condition patient.

How to relieve hypertension?

Removal of symptoms of the described kind is possible various methods. Below is a list of some of them.

Physiotherapeutic methods

Among the most common methods of physiotherapy are paraffin and electrophoresis. In particular, such techniques prove their effectiveness when applied to young children. Physiotherapy acts in this situation as one of the options for psychotherapy.

A preventive interview is conducted with the children, the basics of what is happening are explained and possible causes of fears that cause the described problems are removed. In addition, a set of physiotherapeutic procedures may include massage practice in addition to basic interventions.

Exercise and massage

Among physical exercise complexes of muscular-articular gymnastics and exercises to strengthen skeletal muscles are highlighted. It is recommended to perform a set of gymnastic exercises to work the spine. They involve a series of exercises performed on the floor from a supine position. A series of sequential crunches also helps to realign tight muscle groups and straighten muscle fibers in different parts of the body. Special results are achieved in this issue when performing a set of traditional yoga exercises. Among them, it is necessary to highlight, first of all, asanas built on twisting various parts of the body. This simple option is recommended. From a lying position on your back, straighten your arms to the sides, then reach with your right foot towards your left hand. If possible, do not lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Hold for half a minute. Then return to the starting position and twist in the opposite direction. Maintain the same amount of time. Regular practice of performing such exercises will be quite sufficient to maintain the effect of stable straightening of stiff muscles.

The massage is performed primarily in the tightest areas of the body, usually the back and lower back. Smoothing movements are made clockwise and counterclockwise sequentially. If necessary, you can apply pressure to the most tense areas, while ensuring that the patient does not experience excessive pain. Subsequently, with the gradual leveling of the situation and weakening as a result of performing the specified techniques of clamping in the muscles, the time for performing massage procedures should be gradually reduced.

Medications

Among those recommended in such situations medical supplies sedatives are released. Herbal infusions, teas using chamomile and ginseng are often used to counteract emotional outbursts. This is one of the means of alternative, folk medicine.

For treatment with pharmaceutical drugs, muscle relaxants and antispastic agents are used. When choosing them, first of all, the ability of medications to perform the function of restraining convulsive muscle contractions is taken into account. Spasticity is reduced without any effect on the strength of muscle groups and their elasticity.

Among the muscle relaxants most often used in the country: Tizanidine, Tolperisone, Baclofen, Gedosepam. It is recommended to use them only as prescribed by a doctor; self-medication in such situations is contraindicated.

Features of the treatment of hypertension in children

The main feature of therapy in young children is attentiveness to the manifestations of this condition and the timeliness of taking measures to eliminate it. Timely prescribed treatment helps to get rid of the problem condition quickly and without problems.

The doctor may recommend a bath with pine needles to calm the child; motherwort and sage are also used. All these herbs have a high-quality sedative effect and the ability to eliminate hypertension at any stage of its development. The course of treatment is ten days from the date of first use. Use is intended to be daily, from the first to the tenth day.

The use of lavender and rose hips in an optimally chosen combination for treatment has a beneficial effect. You can also replace rose hips with eucalyptus; the overall practical results do not deteriorate.

All children, regardless of their age, are recommended to swim. It can have a beneficial effect on the baby’s nervous system, relieve nerve impulses in the muscles and put the child in a favorable mood. A toddler does not necessarily have to go to the pool with his parents from the very first days of his life. Swimming in the bathtub with a special circle placed around the baby’s neck is enough. In the future, as the baby grows, you can visit the pool and swim for the prescribed time for each age. Massages after swimming are recommended for children if they have certain problems with muscle tension. It is recommended to first consult with your doctor to develop treatment measures and subsequently eliminate the described problems.

You can read more about the treatment of infants in the article “Hypertonicity in infants - Infants (children).”

What does it mean increased tone in a child? Is massage effective? And what other methods of treating hypertension exist, we’ll talk below.

To talk about increased tone in a child as a disease, you first need to understand what hypertonicity is and at what age it is a problem, and at what is the norm. Increased muscle tension, expressed in their overstrain, is hypertonicity. If we look at the statistics, 90% of children have increased muscle tone. This condition is quite normal for a child in the womb. In the position inside the uterus, the baby is in a compressed state, where the arms and legs are bent and pressed tightly against the body. Once born, the baby gains freedom of movement, so the baby’s muscle tone should return to normal.

Age characteristics

This condition does not go away immediately, gradually, and as the baby grows and acquires certain motor skills, hypertonicity disappears.

Hypertonicity in a baby in the first month of life is most pronounced, which is clearly reflected in the general “tight state” of the child. The fists are clenched, the legs are pressed to the body, if you try to spread the legs, the baby will resist. In the supine position, the baby presses his arms to himself and lies in a position very similar to The folds on the legs should be symmetrical and, if the legs are brought together, form a smile. If in position the baby turns his head left and right, and seems to be trying to crawl with his legs, this is not a pathology and indicates normal development and moderate muscle tone of the baby. If, under the age of one month, a child often holds his head, this is most likely not a sign of his uniqueness and rapid development, but an overstrain of the neck muscles. Massage is effective for treating hypertension in a 1-month-old child.

A three-month-old child who confidently holds his head is characterized by the absence of hypertonicity. A baby at this age already reacts to toys, reaches out to them, and is able to grasp and hold objects in his hand. However, if some signs of increased muscle tone persist, do not be alarmed; each child is individual and you should wait a little and observe.

Increased muscle tone in a child should disappear by 6 months; if this does not happen at this age, you should see a specialist. A six-month-old baby is no longer the same incompetent as before; his movements are more conscious and purposeful. The fists unclench, the baby tries to crawl, rolls over on his back and from back to stomach, sits or tries to sit.

At nine months, the baby is especially active, he stands near a support, crawls, and sits down. If a child has hypertension at this age, massage is especially effective in eliminating it, since the main purpose of massage is to relieve muscle tone.

The one-year-old baby is already trying to take his first steps. If hypertonicity is diagnosed in a child at this age, treatment in the form of massage and baths remains the same; if positive dynamics are not observed by one and a half years, additional diagnostics are prescribed and the treatment method is revised.

By the age of three, hypertonicity can manifest itself in walking not on the feet, but on tiptoes (in the case of increased tone of the legs) and violation of the small muscles (in the case of increased tone of the arms).

By the age of five, elevated levels can become a real problem. A child of preschool age begins to lag behind his peers in development, in some cases this may become the basis for establishing a disability. Studying at school with peers becomes difficult and often these children have to study in special educational institutions.

Thus, early detection of muscle hypertonicity allows you to effectively select health measures and eliminate increased tone. Therefore, it is especially important to pay attention to the symptoms of hypertension in a timely manner, which significantly increases the chances of recovery.

Reasons

The causes of hypertension in a child can be very different, ranging from genetic predisposition to birth injuries. However, despite the individuality of each case, there are a certain number of factors that often cause increased muscle tone. These include:

the presence of Rh conflict;
poor environment;
severe pregnancy (infections and acute illnesses);
fetal hypoxia during pregnancy or childbirth;
hemolytic disease of the child;
difficult childbirth and birth injuries;
availability bad habits in a pregnant woman;
excessive nervous excitability;
severe toxicosis of the mother in the first or last trimester of pregnancy;
chronic diseases of the mother.

One way or another, increased muscle tone in a child is not a pathology at birth, but in the presence of any of the above factors, muscle tone may not return to normal over a long period of time.

Signs of hypertension

Depending on whether the tension of all the muscles in the child is increased, or whether the increased tone in the child affects only the limbs, or only the arms or legs, symptoms of hypertonicity are also distinguished. It is characterized by the following general symptoms:

Hypertonicity of the legs is characterized by slow motor development: the child does not crawl and does not begin to attempt to walk. In a standing position with your support, the child tries to walk on tiptoes without placing emphasis on the entire foot.

Clenched fists and difficulty moving your arms to the sides when lying on your back indicate increased tone of the arm muscles. These symptoms serve as a basis for immediately contacting a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Reflex tests

Another important method for diagnosing increased tone in a child is assessing reflexes. The results of this test can most accurately be assessed by a doctor. When visiting a local therapist, you can often notice testing based on the presence or absence of the following reflexes at a certain age of the baby:

The tonic reflex should fade by three months, but if this does not happen, then this may indicate the presence of hypertonicity. So the child, lying on his stomach, will bend his legs, and on his back, straighten them.
Upon reaching the age of two months, the child may try to walk, standing on his toes rather than on his entire leg (stepping reflex).
Symmetrical and asymmetrical reflexes should fade by three months. When lying on your back, if you turn your head to the left, left hand and the leg straighten, and right hand, on the contrary, will bend. When pressing your chin to your chest, lying on your back, bend your arms and straighten your legs.
When trying to sit the baby down, he won't let you move his arms away from his chest.

Treatment

What to do if a child has increased tone? If, upon reaching six months of age, symptoms of increased muscle tone persist and a neurologist has diagnosed muscle hypertonicity, with proper treatment, hypertonicity may disappear completely.

Massage for hypertension

The main direction in the fight against hypertension is massage. The main purpose of massage is to gently relax tense muscles. Its significant advantage is accessibility. So, for preventive purposes, massage can be started as early as 2 weeks of age. The mother can act as a massage therapist, and the massage is turned into an interesting and exciting game with mandatory communication with a loved one. If massage is prescribed to children for medicinal purposes, it is better to entrust the procedure to a competent specialist. But do not forget about the very big advantage of a mother’s massage - this is a person close and dear, and it will be much easier for the mother to achieve relaxation and comfort for the baby. Therapeutic massage for a child aged 1 month and older is usually prescribed in a course; after completion of the course, the dynamics of the disease are assessed and, if necessary, the courses are repeated after a short rest.

Considering young age The patient must lubricate his hands with oil before the massage, since the skin of babies is very delicate and it is not difficult to damage it. Massage should not be done immediately after eating or after waking up; the child must come to his senses and be in a good mood. It is important to establish contact with the child, since massage against the will and with the child’s periodic crying loses its healing properties. All movements should be done smoothly, not abruptly, softly and gently. Minimal effort is enough; patting and deep kneading are unacceptable. In case of a negative reaction to your actions, it is better to stop massaging children and eliminate the cause of dissatisfaction (this could be the cold hands of a massage therapist or low temperature indoors).

Massage manipulations

They can be divided into:

Stroking and rubbing. It is better to start with stroking movements of the arms and legs, moving to the back. As a rule, babies are more willing to let their legs be massaged than their arms. Therefore, it is important to determine the order for effective continuation of the massage. You need to be very careful with rubbing and not overdo it.
Using gentle rubbing movements, touch parts of the body from bottom to top. First, do this massage while lying on your tummy, then turn it over onto your back.
Shaking and rocking:

Lightly shake your hands, be sure to hold your forearm, and shake your legs. If the baby is reluctant to do some exercises or resists, you can try to shake the limbs slightly and do this exercise; if the resistance does not decrease, move on to another exercise.
Shake your arms in different sides, do the same with the legs, shaking the legs while holding them by the shin.

Finish the massage better light stroking to calm an agitated baby. It is important to maintain contact with the child, talk kindly and encourage every successful exercise, step towards you, and in no case raise your voice.

Particular attention should be paid to foot massage if increased tone of the leg muscles is detected, since aggravation of the problem has a very negative effect on the acquisition of such an important skill as walking.

When massaging your legs, you should hold them by the shins and start stroking them from bottom to top, repeating the movements about eight times, then move to the back of the thigh. This is followed by soft rubbing with the fingertips in the same direction - from bottom to top. Lightly stroke the feet, moving from the toes to the heel. At the base thumb You should press lightly, close your fingers, then move along the outer part of the foot, the fingers will spread out like a fan, repeat this several times. Next, you can “draw a figure eight” on your foot with your thumb. You can gently stretch your foot by applying gentle pressure with your thumb. Then you should stroke the area from the toes to the ankle joint, continue to gently rub this area, lightly pressing and touching.

After massaging your legs, you can do simple exercises. Taking the legs by the knees, bend them one by one, gently pressing on the tummy. This exercise is also useful for babies who are still bothered by gas. Bend your legs in knee joint, knees spread in opposite directions, and feet put together, gently rubbing against each other. If the exercises are done correctly and gently, you will not only make progress in solving the problem of hypertension, but also give your baby much-needed communication with a loved one.

Soothing bath

A bath, like a massage, has a relaxing effect on the muscles, with the addition of herbs such as eucalyptus, lavender, motherwort, sage, valerian, conifers, the relaxing effect of the bath is enhanced. As a rule, a bath is prescribed by a doctor with the addition of an ingredient suitable for a particular baby in a course. If necessary, the bath cycle is repeated. In some cases, the herbs are alternated. An important aspect when prescribing this or that medicinal plant is the individual tolerance of the child.

Appropriate care

Also, for the treatment of muscle hypertonicity in children, the following measures aimed at relaxing and reducing muscle tone can be effective:

Drug treatment is prescribed only in cases where more gentle measures do not lead to positive dynamics. In most cases, a timely diagnosis and following the doctor’s instructions give positive results without the need for drug intervention.

In addition to the treatment prescribed by a competent specialist, the care and psychological climate properly organized by the parents play an important role. Providing comfort in moral and everyday terms is the primary concern and task of parents.

It is important to exclude physical activity that creates additional tension in muscles that are in increased tone.
a favorable and friendly environment allows the baby to be relaxed, calm and does not lead to nervous tension.
It is important to create a favorable atmosphere in the child’s rest room, the absence of irritants in the form of loud sounds, bright light, acceptable air temperature and acceptable air humidity.

In any case, no matter what method of treating hypertonicity is chosen, it is important to ensure comfortable treatment for the baby, since hypertonicity is increased muscle tension, therefore, in order to avoid it, you need to achieve relaxation.

Why is hypertension dangerous?

The main problem in eliminating hypertension in infants is the initially incorrect approach of parents to this problem. Due to the fact that hypertonicity is the norm in newborns (due to being in a tight position in the womb), many parents do not pay due attention if this condition persists and consider it completely normal and physiological. We remind you that the state of increased muscle tone should normally go away by three months, but if this does not happen by six months, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

If, nevertheless, a child is diagnosed with hypertonicity, and appropriate measures were taken untimely or not taken at all, this can lead to serious developmental deviations:

Delay in the child's motor activity. He starts crawling and walking late. Coordination of movements is impaired, incorrect gait and posture are formed.
Suffering from hypertonicity of the hands fine motor skills, the child is bad at grasping objects with his hands, he cannot fully manipulate them.
Curvature of the spine.
Delay in general development (speech impairment), mental development.
Disruption of the internal organs of the child.

Child mode for hypertension

There should be no special differences in the alternation of feeding, sleeping and playing of the baby from healthy child. Moreover, the important task of parents is not to create additional tension and stress for him. You should not force your baby to a certain regime that is inconvenient for him. The child’s body itself is able to determine when it wants to sleep, when to eat, when to play, so be careful and it will tell you what it needs specifically now. If you force someone to stay awake or put you to sleep while crying, these actions will lead to aggravation of the problem, since any tension, including nervous tension, in this case is extremely undesirable. Also, you should not set a feeding schedule at a certain interval, because for a baby, mother’s breasts are not only nutrition, but also a way to relax, calm down and even fall asleep.

The most important remedy in the fight against hypertension is the attention of parents. No doctor spends as much time with your child as mom or dad, who are able to detect alarming symptoms almost immediately and take action. After all, the sooner you address this issue, the faster and more effectively the results will be noticeable.

I hope that in this article you found all the information you were interested in and learned what hypertonicity is.

Neuralgia - muscle tension and blocks - is a common and widespread problem. Try applying gentle pressure to the back of your neck and trapezius muscles. Do you feel any lumps or slight discomfort? Or even pain?

If the answer is yes, then you probably also have muscle tension in this area.

How to get rid of the problem and watch the video where it is presented effective exercise to relieve hypertonicity from the trapezius muscle.

Muscle hypertonicity- this is a persistent and reversible increase in the tone of a muscle or part of it, which manifests itself involuntarily due to increased nervous activity.
Tone is the reaction of muscles to the need to make a movement. In addition, it appears in response to emotional, mental and external factors.

It may increase or decrease.
Hypertonicity can be determined by palpation. It can be felt in the hardened upper trapezius muscle, which often responds with tenderness when pressed.

Prolonged muscle tension leads to: deterioration of metabolic processes (metabolism), hypoxia (oxygen starvation) and changes in trophism (cellular nutrition) of muscle areas.
Therefore, such muscle spasms are one of the causes of: headaches, neck pain, stiffness of movement and, of course, osteochondrosis.

Also, pain and spasmodic contraction of the neck muscles can be associated with manifestations of cervical osteochondrosis.
Local muscle spasms in cervical osteochondrosis occur in the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle (trapezius, supraclavicular, sternocleidomastoid, deltoid, etc.)

Causes of muscle hypertonicity

. Overvoltage
Muscles become overstrained and cramped by excessive activity for which the muscles are not prepared (repetitive movements or intense sports), or activity that places the body in a certain position during work or school.
Changes in body statics, such as hyperkyphosis, in which a posterior displacement of the head causes overload of the posterior cervical and pectoral muscles and their hypertension.

. Pain
Hypertonicity often appears as a consequence of pain caused by a pathological process (arthrosis, lumbosacral radiculitis, tendonitis, etc.) or overload of joint structures (facet, lumbar or cervical).

In addition, muscle hypertonicity itself can cause pain spontaneously and/or upon palpation due to compression of intermuscular blood vessels located in the palpation zone, or the accumulation of metabolites (substances formed as a result of the activity of cells secreted into the intercellular space) that are not excreted from -for vascular or lymphatic congestion.
Hypertonicity is added to the pain caused by the disease, which creates a vicious circle (the greater the pain, the higher the hypertonicity, and vice versa, the higher the hypertonicity, the greater the pain).

. Injury
Muscle bruise also leads to hypertonicity.

. Aggressive movements
During sharp and sudden movements, the myotatic reflex occurs to increase muscle tone as a means of protection against potential injury. For example, with a whiplash injury to the cervical spine, the muscles of the cervical spine and sometimes the thoracolumbar spine simultaneously contract, preventing voluntary movements of the spine (as a result of sudden movement and pain resulting from tissue damage). During the acute period, hypertonicity has a beneficial effect because it acts as a protection system, immobilizing the spine and thereby helping to avoid increased injury to structures such as ligaments, discs or vertebrae during movement.

. Stress as a result of emotional or physical stress

Muscles most susceptible to hypertonicity

The muscles of the shoulder girdle, in particular the upper trapezius, rhomboids and levator scapulae.

Occipital muscle.

Paravertebral, iliocostal and latissimus dorsi muscles.

Square lumbar.

Gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.

Forearm muscles.

Prevention

Use of appropriate postural hygiene products.

Moderate exercise.

Warming up the muscles before sports activities (start with exercises of moderate intensity).

Muscle relaxation (gradual decrease in exercise intensity level).

Muscle stretching, especially after exercise.

Drinking Adequately - Taking in water helps optimize muscle function.

Self Help

Moderate physical activity, muscle stretching exercises are effective in reducing muscle tone. This is what we will do by studying an exercise to relieve hypertonicity from the trapezius muscle using a roller.

The use of heat and cold, which has an analgesic effect and reduces the sensation of pain, and with it the level of tone, thereby breaking the vicious circle described earlier.
Applying heat (electric heating pad or compress for 30 minutes) gives very good results as, among other things, it relaxes the muscles and increases blood circulation.

Self-massage of the neck

Another thing you can do yourself for the cervical spine is light self-massage.
Massage has a mechanical and reflex effect on the movement of lymph and blood, various types metabolism, tone of the vascular wall and muscles.

Regular massage of the collar area will be an excellent prevention of cervical osteochondrosis. And with osteochondrosis, massage helps improve blood and lymph circulation, reduces pain, and promotes a speedy restoration of spinal function.

Tips for self-massage of the neck:

Massage your neck along with the upper bundles of the trapezius muscle (shoulder girdle).
Perform all movements from top to bottom along the neck and shoulder girdle: from the hairline to the shoulder joint.
Massage your neck with both hands at the same time or alternately with your right and left.
If you are going to massage with one hand, you can further relax the trapezius muscles. To do this, you need to lean your elbow on the back of the chair with the hand of the same name as the side being massaged, and slightly tilt the body towards the massaged area.

Techniques for self-massage of the neck:

Pressing your palms tightly to the back of your neck, stroke it.
Use your fingertips to rub your neck in a circular motion (more intense than stroking).
Using pinching movements, grab the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle (with your thumb on one side and the other four on the other), stretch the muscles and move them towards the four fingers.
Lightly pat your neck and shoulders with your fingertips (while keeping your hands relaxed)
Finish the massage with stroking.

These actions prevent the development of osteochondrosis and neck pain, and if a pathological process develops, they help restore health relatively quickly, and then significantly strengthen it.
Based on materials

Normal muscle contractility ensures harmonious physical and mental development child. Muscle tone in a baby can be physiological and pathological. Physiological conditions include increased muscle tone in the first weeks after birth. Next, the tone should return to normal. 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 a newborn is an understandable phenomenon. Inside the womb, the child was in a constrained 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 new conditions. During the first two weeks, the muscles gradually relax, and the limbs return to a new state. However, if the baby has central nervous system lesions of varying severity, the brain will not be able to fully control muscle activity. In this case, the condition of the muscles will deviate from normal.

The persistence of hypertonicity during the first month of life should be a reason to examine 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 muscle hypertonicity syndrome. In such children, all movements are constrained, lower limbs– no more than 45 o. The arms and legs are firmly pressed to the body, and the fingers cannot be unclenched.

What should you be wary of?

Hypertonicity syndrome interferes with the further development of the child, the formation of joints and ligaments is disrupted. Persistence of the condition can lead to impairment of motor skills, motor activity, and the formation of the spine and posture.

If after the first month of life the baby’s muscle hypertonicity persists, in the future he will have the following signs.

The child behaves restlessly, sleeps poorly, wakes up in less than an hour and cries often.
The baby spits up profusely after every meal.
During sleep, the child arches his back and throws his head back. This is characteristic feature for hypertension. At the same time, his arms and legs are bent and pressed to the body.
During a tantrum, the child is tense and bends. In a nervous state, trembling of the chin is noted.
The baby is able to hold his head upright from birth.
When you spread your legs to the sides, you feel strong muscle tension. When you try again, the tension increases. The child resists and protests with a cry.
In an upright position, the baby does not rest his entire foot on the surface, but stands on his toes.

Existing signs of hypertonicity should prompt parents to seek advice from a neurologist.

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

Walking reflex. In an upright position, the baby tends to take steps. Normally, this ability disappears after 2 months of age.
Symmetry of reflexes. When lying on the back, the baby's chin is pressed to the chest. At the same time, the behavior of the limbs is observed - bending of the arms and straightening of the legs should occur. When the head is tilted to the right, there is straightening of the limbs on the right side and tension on the left. When you turn your head in the other direction, everything happens exactly the opposite. This reflex should disappear after 3 months.
Ability to tone. While lying on his stomach, the baby should tuck his limbs. Lying on your back relaxes your arms and legs. After three months the ability disappears.
When examining a newborn, the doctor places the baby in his arm, face down. In this position, the baby should experience contraction of the arms and relaxation of the legs. Under normal conditions, the head and back should extend into one line.

Parents can detect symptoms on their own. If a violation is suspected, 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 muscle tone in the arms and decreased tone in 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 examined from the back. With asymmetry, the head is turned towards that half of the body where hypertonicity appears. On the same side, there is a bend in the back and tension in the arms.

Hypotension is also considered a disorder. This phenomenon has the opposite symptoms of hypertonicity and manifests itself in lethargy and impaired motor activity.

Muscle hypertonicity and hypotonicity may not appear systemically, but in individual parts of the body. In this case, there is a decrease or increase in muscle tone only in 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. If the syndrome is detected, the child must be thoroughly examined. In this case, an ultrasound of the brain is performed, and in rare cases, a tomogram.

Possible reasons

The causes of damage to the central nervous system can lie both in problems associated with pregnancy and in complications during childbirth.

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

infectious diseases of the mother during pregnancy;
improper lifestyle of a pregnant woman;
reception medicines mother during pregnancy;
Rhesus conflict expectant 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.

Treatment options

When treating 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.

Upon appointment medicines those that can improve cerebral circulation, improve metabolic processes and reduce muscle tension are selected.

Minor violations may hide serious reasons. Harmonious development the child should extend in all planes. A deviation in one area may lead to a violation in another area. Alarming symptoms of changes in muscle tone should not be ignored. During the examination, the doctor will be able to determine in which direction to move next, what examination and treatment the child may need.