Toned muscles treatment. Muscle tone

Muscle tone in modern people is a fairly common phenomenon. Therefore, the question is very popular. Tone manifests itself in the form of dense muscles with a distinct relief. Thanks to this, a person is able to move, maintain balance, hold a pose, and in fact, he is vital to us. But only in a certain quantity.

An excessive increase in muscle tone is called muscle hypertension and is more likely to cause discomfort to its owner than vice versa. And if you remain in this state for a long time, the preconditions for more serious problems than just discomfort may be created. For example, insufficient blood supply to a certain part of the body, or back pain. Therefore, it is worth paying attention and understanding the issue of how to relieve increased muscle tone. Next, we will look at several ways to help you get rid of this problem.

Stretching and flexibility exercises.

Such exercises develop flexibility, reduce muscle and ligament tension, and make the body relaxed. First, do an active warm-up to warm up your muscles. Then do the following exercises:

1. Tilts to the side.

The arms are extended high above the head and joined together. Alternately, you need to bend at the waist, pull your arms towards the floor.

2. Bending the body.

You should stand up and straighten your shoulders. Then begin to slowly bend at the waist: you should feel a stretch in your calves and thighs. Sudden movements should be avoided. To perform the hands-to-toes exercise, you need to sit on the floor. Then you should clasp your hands and pull them towards your toes. You need to reach at least your ankle.

3. Hamstring stretch.

You need to lie on the floor, bend one leg at the knee, place your foot on the floor. Raise the other leg and straighten it as much as possible. After this, you need to slowly straighten both legs and pull the raised leg towards your nose.

Massage

If you experience spasms in the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle, then these are alarming symptoms that indicate muscle tension. Most often this is the cause of headaches, neck pain, and stiffness of movement. Prolonged stress can lead to cervical osteochondrosis. To prevent this disease, self-massage of the collar area will help you. website.

How is self-massage performed?

1. The neck is rubbed using the fingertips.
2. The palms are pressed tightly to the back of the neck and stroking is performed.
3. The muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle are warmed up with pinches.
4. Finally, the neck is patted with the fingertips and stroking is performed.

How to relieve muscle tone using other methods?

All types of baths and saunas help relieve tension. Steam affects the nervous system and helps to relax the entire body. When visiting a bathhouse, you should not rush, much less occupy your mind with disturbing thoughts. Just give yourself a couple of hours of carefree relaxation. In the steam room you can sit quietly or lie on a shelf, absorbing hot steam with every cell of your body. After some time, you can clearly feel how the tension leaves the muscles, and the skin seems to straighten out. It is indeed true that the body and spirit at this time get rid of everything negative. After the bath, an extraordinary lightness appears in the body, the worries and hardships of life fade into the background. At the end of all procedures, be sure to rinse with cold water. Some people prefer to rub it with snow. In order for the body to refill with fluid, you should drink tea with herbs. Massage and self-massage are the most popular procedures in the bathhouse, but they should not be intense. The bath is also a good stress therapy. Therefore, if you feel that your muscles are too tense, then first of all go to the bathhouse.

Increased muscle tone can be relieved with massage. Any massage is a kind of calming and relaxing therapy that counteracts the effects of tension. After a professional massage session at a therapeutic massage clinic, clients are always relaxed. Massage helps relieve pain in the spine and back. It is very important that the tactile influence is carried out by a master. Then muscle relaxation is guaranteed. After all, only a professional knows what techniques to use for different parts of the body.

A massage chair is another sure way to relieve muscle tone and improve the overall condition of the body. The advantage of this medication is that it massages all muscles at once. The massage chair uses all the techniques of classic massage: rubbing, vibration, stroking and smoothing, kneading. It can also affect the body using air flow and infrared radiation.

However, before using a massage chair, you need to consult a doctor. After all, a massage chair cannot be identical to sensitive human hands. During the massage, blood actively flows to the tissues, so you need to carefully select the program. The specifics of the sessions and their number must be prescribed by the doctor.

Have you encountered such a concept as rigidity? So, rigidity is hardness, rigidity, inelasticity. In relation to the human body, the word “rigidity” is often used to describe the condition of muscles. That is, when they talk about muscle rigidity, they mean a sharp increase in their tone (hypertonicity), hardness and resistance to normal contractions characteristic of a healthy human body.

Rigidity of the cervical muscles and its symptoms

Rigidity of the cervical muscles is a condition of hypertonicity of the neck muscles. The state of tension can manifest itself in both flexor and extensor muscles. You can suspect the presence of rigidity by the constrained movements of a person who turns not his head, but his entire body.

Signs of hypertonicity of the neck muscles are:

• pain that is aching or pressing in nature;
• periodically pain from the neck spreads to the shoulders or head;
• the pain intensifies sharply when trying to tilt the head;
• At the same time, it is not possible to make full movements of the head or arms.

If you complain of neck muscle spasms, the doctor performs a test. For this, the patient is placed in a horizontal position in a relaxed state. The doctor places his palm under the patient’s head and, with his own efforts, tries to bring the patient’s head to the chest so that the chin touches the chest.

If this succeeds, then everything is in order. If the state of hypertonicity of the neck muscles does not allow this, then the doctor makes a diagnosis of stiffness of the cervical muscles. Such persistent muscle stiffness in the back of the head, neck and shoulders can be the result of a number of serious pathologies.

Causes of hypertonicity of the neck muscles

Rigidity of the cervical muscles is a consequence of disruption of the central and peripheral nervous systems and requires special attention to identify the cause of this syndrome.

A nervous system disorder can be caused by a brain injury, a complication due to an inflammatory process or spinal dystrophy. In this case, muscle rigidity may not have pathological consequences. But in some cases it becomes a consequence of a serious illness that requires immediate hospitalization and emergency treatment.

Stiff neck syndrome may indicate the following diseases:

• osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
• cervical arthritis;
• sprains and injuries of the cervical spine;
• birth trauma in newborns;
• meningitis;
• stroke;
• encephalitis;
• parkinsonism.

Did you know that mucopolysaccharides are involved in the regeneration of connective tissue and improve its elasticity, which is very important for osteochondrosis. Find out how

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Neck pain can be a symptom of a number of diseases. How to recognize the cause of pain and provide first aid? This article will help you with this.

Self-massage using home massagers will help relieve tension in the paravertebral muscles of the neck and loosen the tone of the back.

The occurrence of neck stiffness is a symptom of dangerous diseases

There are a number of life-threatening diseases accompanied by hypertonicity of the neck muscles. This can be either inflammation of the brain as a result of an infectious infection, or hemorrhage in the brain.

Meningitis

Meningitis is an infectious disease. Its diagnosis is difficult due to its similarity to flu symptoms.

Against the background of severe headache, photophobia, high fever, weakness and drowsiness, unlike influenza or ARVI, meningitis will cause stiffness of the cervical muscles and characteristic skin rashes.

The manifestations of symptoms do not have a clear sequence. At the slightest suspicion of meningitis, you should immediately consult a doctor for hospitalization.

Treatment is carried out with antibiotics and, if therapy is started on time, has a favorable prognosis.

Stroke

Stroke is an acute cerebral circulatory disorder caused by damage to areas of the brain by hemorrhage (hemorrhagic form) or complete cessation of blood supply (ischemic form). The subarachnoid form of stroke is quite common and can occur in people of any age from infants to the elderly, since in this form of the disease, hemorrhage in the brain occurs as a result of head trauma.

Main symptoms:

1. sudden acute headache;
2. severe weakness, numbness or paralysis of the muscles of the face and limbs (usually one-sided);
3. impaired coordination, speech, vision, hearing and perception.

At the slightest suspicion of a stroke, immediate hospitalization is required. Timely therapy and, if necessary, surgical intervention will save the victim and increase the chances of his returning to normal life.

Encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain due to infectious, allergic or toxic damage. Most often, encephalitis occurs due to a tick or even mosquito bite, but infection by airborne droplets or contact from person to person is also possible.

The distinctive symptoms of the disease are: fever, damage to the upper respiratory tract, disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract, headaches in the forehead and eyes, photophobia, vomiting, disturbances of consciousness, convulsions, muscle rigidity and epileptic seizures.

A patient with suspected encephalitis is subject to urgent hospitalization. Symptomatic, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, detoxification, and antibacterial drugs are used for treatment.

The severity of the disease and its outcome depend on the person’s immune defense, the body’s resistance and ability to resist infection.

Parkinsonism

This disease is caused by a disorder of the nervous system, as well as poisoning of the body with toxins. A frequent manifestation of parkinsonism is a violation of voluntary movements, tremors and rigidity of the body muscles. Because of this, any movement of the patient requires additional effort.

Treatment is selected individually for each patient. In the vascular form of parkinsonism, surgical intervention aimed at correcting cerebral circulation is indicated. Drug treatment provides maintenance therapy and is lifelong.

The doctor is faced with the task of determining the true cause of neck muscle stiffness, based on the symptoms.

In case of infectious lesions of the brain (meningitis, encephalitis), stiff neck syndrome appears as a complication when assistance is delayed and proper treatment is not carried out.

In functional disorders (stroke, parkinsonism), muscle rigidity is one of the first symptoms of brain damage.

Spinal problems and hypertonicity of muscles in the cervical region

Often, stiffness of the neck muscles occurs due to diseases and injuries of the cervical spine.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Excessive loads, incorrect posture, pathological changes in the vertebrae, injuries and improper metabolism have a detrimental effect on the spine - this is how osteochondrosis and its complications develop. In addition to stiffness of the neck muscles, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can manifest itself as dizziness, pain in the head and neck, tingling sensation in the hands and numbness in the fingers.

Treatment is aimed at eliminating muscle spasms, normalizing blood circulation and nutrition of the brain and spinal cord. In addition, drugs from the groups of nootropics, muscle relaxants, and chondroprotectors are prescribed.

After overcoming the acute period of the disease, as a rule, it is recommended to undergo a course of massage, manual therapy, physical therapy and physiotherapeutic procedures.

Cervical arthritis

In addition to affecting the joints of the extremities, arthritis can cause inflammation in the spine. Arthritis manifests itself as pain, stiffness, and with an acute inflammatory process, an increase in temperature is possible.

Treatment is aimed at relieving inflammation, muscle spasm and restoring cartilage structure. In the presence of reactive arthritis that occurs against the background of infectious diseases (intestinal, genitourinary, etc.), treatment requires, first of all, elimination of the cause; when determining rheumatoid arthritis, therapy implies supportive treatment, since rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease.

Cervical sprains and injuries

Traumatic lesions of the cervical spine lead to stretching of muscle fibers, ligaments, displacement of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. The pain syndrome causes stiffness and difficulty moving in the neck.

The close proximity of blood vessels and nerve fibers increases the risk of their compression when the spinal discs are displaced. This in turn contributes to impaired blood supply to the brain and pinched nerves. The person feels pain, dizziness and decreased sensitivity of the limbs.

During treatment, first of all, it is necessary to ensure a state of muscle rest and fixation of the cervical spine, for which it is recommended to constantly wear an orthopedic collar.

Torticollis

In a child, hypertonicity of the neck muscles can be caused by a birth injury, which leads to dislocation of the cervical vertebrae. In this case, a curvature in the neck and a constant unnatural tilt or rotation of the head are visually noticeable. Torticollis can cause visual and hearing impairment due to pinched blood vessels and nerve fibers. Also, constant incorrect position of the head caused by professional activities leads to torticollis.

For treatment, a course of massage, physiotherapeutic procedures and therapeutic exercises is carried out, and special ointments are used to relax the muscles. Treatment is carried out under the supervision of a doctor to avoid negative consequences caused by pinching of nerve endings and blood vessels.

Often, hypertonicity of the muscles of both the cervical spine and the muscles of the back and limbs is observed in newborns. This is caused by a malfunction of the peripheral nervous system. Hypertonicity of the neck muscles in infants leads to difficulties when trying to hold the head.

Upon examination, the neurologist determines the degree of muscle tension and prescribes treatment. It is recommended to conduct a course of massage and therapeutic exercises. If necessary, the doctor may add drug therapy to avoid complications and developmental delays.

Treatment of stiff neck muscles

It should be understood that stiff neck muscles are not a disease. And therefore, the choice of treatment method for neck stiffness depends on the cause of the muscle disorder.

The main task of the doctor is to identify the cause. With a correctly established diagnosis for the patient and complete treatment of the identified disease, rigidity is eliminated on its own.

The main task of the patient is not to self-medicate, to remember what life-threatening diseases may be indicated by stiff neck syndrome.

Do not forget about preventive measures: avoid hypothermia, various types of infections, especially during the autumn-winter period, exercise caution to avoid injuries and consult a doctor at the slightest suspicion.

What is it?

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 peace.

Changes in tone can be caused by painful conditions and traumatic injuries at different levels of the body's muscular system. 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. Its common symptoms are muscle tension, excessive 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 severe 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 condition of the skeletal muscle 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 and external signs of stochastic spasm develop 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:

1. 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; this requires spending a very large amount of energy.
2. 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.
3. The body's response to pain. Muscle spasms are 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.
4. 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;
• myotonia;
• 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, a deterioration in the patient’s general condition is observed.

How to relieve hypertension?

Removal of symptoms of the described kind is possible using 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 the physical exercises, complexes of muscular-articular gymnastics and exercises to strengthen skeletal muscles stand out. 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. Particular results are achieved in this matter 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 most tight 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 the medications recommended in such situations are sedatives. 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).”

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Neck vascular spasm: signs, how to treat?

Spastic tetraparesis

Greetings, guests and readers of the blog! Let's talk about pain in the neck; whoever has experienced it, almost everyone, even children. This area has a huge number of nerves, blood vessels and muscles, which are often damaged by various external and internal factors, provoking muscle spasms in the neck of various types. And how to find treatment for such a scourge, and insure yourself as much as possible against repeated attacks. This is the topic of our conversation.

My story

I want to tell you that I have experienced muscle spasms in the calf area more than once. But one day, during the most difficult time of my life, a moment came when tears flowed naturally, from heaviness and pain, as if a concrete slab was lying on my shoulders and bouncing. And I just dreamed of a massage, for some reason it seemed to me that only it would help me. Fortunately, at that moment he was within walking distance.

Without a doctor's prescription, I begged the masseuse to give me a course. She just saved me, found the time and agreed. The specialist is simply awesome. At the first sessions it was terribly painful, but after about the 7th session, everything returned to normal, only one muscle made itself felt, and the massage therapist felt it, it was tense and gave pain when kneading it. As a result, the pain went away, but complete relief from the severity still did not occur.

Now, years later, I understand that I should have gone to the doctor and taken painkillers at first, and followed all the doctor’s orders. But at that moment I didn’t think as I should, I thought about myself last and succumbed to intuition rather than reason. Or maybe the brain was not working at full capacity, since the blood supply was already impaired.

Still, for almost a year, which is quite a lot, there was heaviness and dull pain in the reflex zone. And all the symptoms accumulated gradually, and the bundle wrapped itself more and more (stress, emotions, worries, expectations, hard work that I had never done in such quantities, fatigue). But everything could not have ended so well.

Therefore, to whom my story seems familiar, you can find out where muscle spasm in the neck comes from, treatment with various methods, which muscles are involved in its occurrence, what danger this condition poses, what needs to be done first, in more detail.

What muscles are involved?in muscle spasm

General concept of spasms

Let's start with the general definition of the word spasm (stretch) - cramp, writhing, spasticity - involuntary muscle contraction of one or more muscles, causing sharp or aching pain.

The nervous system always responds to strong tension with strong relaxation. This is how the body protects itself.

Spasms occur in striated and smooth tissues.

Surely, you will be interested in learning a little more about tissues in order to have an idea about spasms in general.

1. Striated tissues are found in the skeletal muscles, in the oral cavity, located in the upper third of the pharynx, in the external sphincters of the excretory tract (anal and urinary). They are responsible for the position of various postures in space, for swallowing and breathing. With spasm in this case, motor activity is disrupted, breathing and eating are difficult.
2. Smooth tissue is found in the membranes of internal organs, in internal sphincters, and in the walls of blood vessels. It is responsible for emptying the bladder and intestines, gastric peristalsis, the uterus and fallopian tubes, and vascular tone. If smooth muscles are involved in the spasm, then the body lets you know that something is not right with this organ. Angina pectoris and cardiospasm occur due to vascular spasm; during pregnancy and childbirth, spasms often occur in the uterus.

According to duration, they are divided into tonic (long-lasting) and clonic (periodically contracting and relaxing), in the form of small twitches to strong, very painful contractions.

Factors for muscle spasms

• Osteochondrosis (hernia, osteophytes). When moving, protruding protrusions in the form of hernias or osteophytes irritate the nerve root, causing pain, the brain commands the muscles to tense, the stronger the pain, the stronger the muscle tension.
• Nervous stress and prolonged emotional experiences, overwork. Probably, these states are constantly present with other factors, they are simply inseparable.
• Nervous diseases. In motor neuron disease MND.
• Muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, etc.
• Injuries, bruises and sprains. What's happening? Severe pain occurs, the muscles contract in response and remain tight even when the pain goes away.
• Birth injuries in a child’s cervical region are a common cause of neck spasms that accompany a person throughout his life.
• Static prolonged muscle tension. If you watch TV in an uncomfortable position for a long time, work or play on the computer, carry a heavy bag for a long time, overload during training, and much more. In this state, if you do not do relaxation exercises, the inhibition process becomes habitual for the cells.

Why do muscle spasms occur?

• With sweat, a large content of valuable salts (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium) is lost.
• Lack of calcium in the body.
• Violation of the regime of tension and relaxation, if this occurs simultaneously, then a spasm occurs.
• Low carbohydrate diet. Overvoltage is dangerous here.

The exact reasons are still being studied to this day.

Muscle spasm in the neck, symptoms

1. There may be strong or small twitchings on either side of the neck area, or they may not be felt at all, just heaviness and stiffness.
2. Movements are limited: turning or tilting the head.
3. Localization in the hands, swelling of the hands in the morning.
4. Difficulty taking deep breaths. A lump may form in the throat.
5. A spasmed muscle is hard and painful.

Consequences of spasm in the cervical spine

The proper nutrition of the brain, skin, muscles of the face and neck is disrupted. Muscles atrophy faster, giving a person an unhealthy appearance.

• The face swells due to impaired lymph outflow, wrinkles form on the face faster than desired, a double chin appears, folds appear on the side of the neck.
• A withers are formed on the neck.
• The emotional state worsens (mood deteriorates, panic attacks, fatigue and irritability appear).
• In the reflex zone, the muscles are hard and painful, but should be soft and elastic.
• Vagus nerve pinching. It is the 10th pair of 12 cranial pairs, it is the longest and has great significance in the human body. The vagus nerve is involved in the reflex actions of swallowing, vomiting, and coughing. Involved in the process of breathing and heartbeat. When it is damaged, diseases such as migraine, neurasthenia, angioneurosis, Rhine and Meniere's diseases develop. When the vagus nerve is compressed in the cervical spine, disruptions occur in the pancreas and, accordingly, occur in the gastrointestinal tract.

With frequent spasms, there is a disturbance in the blood circulation of the brain, even a small one, most often causing headaches, poor sleep, dizziness and malaise, and hypertension develops.

What causes muscle spasms in a child?

Muscle spasms in a child have their own characteristics; the development of ligaments and muscle tissue does not keep pace with the growth of the skeletal system, hence various types of spasms often arise. And children may or may not complain, especially for newborns.

Parents need to understand what is stuck in the neck? Are there any vertebral subluxations? This is exactly what happened to my children when they were children. There were no signs of painful sensations in the neck, my daughter, she was about 8 years old, was sitting, watching TV, turned her head to the right and her neck “jammed.” I applied ointments for about 2 days, it didn’t help, the spasm, as it seemed to me that it was precisely it, did not go away, I went to the hospital, it turned out to be a subluxation.

It happened to my son when he was three years old, I didn’t even experiment, I urgently took him to the emergency room of the Central District Hospital. A neurologist, who is also a chiropractor, fortunately was on duty that day (it was in the evening), and corrected the situation.

But muscle rigidity, especially in the back of the head, can occur against the background of infectious diseases (measles, rubella, polio), when the body is weakened and predisposed to the severe pathological condition of meningitis.

Everything that concerns children, if the cause of muscle spasms is not clear (tension in one position, an uncomfortable pillow, myositis or congenital torticollis), even without hesitation, consult a doctor, the Internet will not help. The doctor will prescribe the correct treatment, ruling out a viral infection (massage, physiotherapy, drug therapy, chiropractor, exercise therapy, Shants collar).

First aid to the child should be provided with painkillers Maxicold, Paracytomol suppositories, Ibuprofen suspension is allowed, according to the instructions, for children from 3 months.

Almost all ointments are contraindicated up to 7-12 years of age, homeopathic up to 3 years of age due to the lack of clinical data (Traumel S, Alorom).

Muscle spasm in the neck treatment and diagnosis

Diagnostics

You should consult a doctor if spasms last more than 2 days.

And if they are aggressive in nature, then immediately.

To make a correct diagnosis, it is advisable to find a competent neurologist so that the examination is correct, who will find the cause of the spasms and tell you how to treat.

If necessary, electromyography is prescribed to evaluate the functioning of motor neurons. MRI of the brain and spinal cord.

Drug therapy and physical therapy

Muscle spasms are best treated in complex therapy, prescribed: acupuncture, manual therapy, pharmacopuncture, cryotherapy, cupping, massage, drug therapy, vitamins, ointments. Try working with a psychologist, using relaxation and meditation.

Almost all muscle spasms are directly related to emotional experiences.

Pharmacopuncture is the introduction of medicinal substances into biologically active points for the purpose of preventing and treating complications in osteochondrosis. When relaxation is impaired, trigger points are formed where pain appears, and with the help of microneedles with the necessary medicine they are eliminated.

• Cryotherapy is the effect of low temperatures.
• Hard massage of the sore area.
• Drug therapy includes muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins and minerals.

Drugs that relieve muscle spasms are divided into categories.

1. Relaxing and relieving (muscle relaxants) symptoms.
2. Painkillers.
3. Combined (relax, relieve, anesthetize).
4. Anti-inflammatory.

Muscle relaxants relax striated muscles by blocking neuromuscular impulses. They are divided into central and peripheral effects.

In our case, centrally acting muscle relaxants are used for cervical spasms. This group of drugs does not cure, but makes it possible to perform massage manipulation or manual therapy while relaxing the muscles. The effects of drugs are divided into:

• ultra-short - from 5 to 7 minutes;
• short - up to 20 minutes;
• average – up to 40 minutes;
• long - more than 40 minutes.

Remember that you cannot use them without a doctor’s prescription; there is a large list of contraindications.

Painkillers are taken for strong, deep spasms, when the pain becomes unbearable. The medications contain a large amount of lidocoine, analgin: Milgamma, Meloxicam, Novocain and many other drugs.

Combined, the most common in the form of injections and tablets. They recommend Mydocalm, the drug immediately relieves spasms and relieves pain. Of the modern drugs in tablets, “Sirdalud”, its analogue “Tizalud”.

Anti-inflammatory drugs (NVSPs) – “Ibuprofen”, “Baclofen”, “Diclofenac”, etc.

Physiotherapeutic treatment is used with vacuum cupping. They have an excellent effect on blood circulation and lymph flow in the diseased area.

Ointments relieve muscle spasms and are anti-inflammatory and analgesic: “Dolgit”, “Capsicam”, “Fastum Gel”, “Finalgon”, “Ketanol”, “Tsel T”.

Be sure to take vitamins containing the minerals calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. Their daily intake in the body prevents seizures.

Dr. Shishonin’s technique will help strengthen the deep muscles of the neck so that spasms do not bother you; they should be in “combat readiness”, that is, strong, elastic, and stretch well.

Jacobson's interesting muscle relaxation technique

Jacobson's technique rules.

1. Nobody interferes. Comfortable clothes.
2. Every 4 days, learn and memorize one exercise along with your muscles.
3. Lesson time is no more than 15 minutes.
4. Repeat the exercise 5 times.
5. When tension occurs, pain and discomfort should not be allowed.

The whole family can do it, the child will find it very interesting.

Watch the video of the relaxation technique (watch from 11 minutes).

First aid for yourself with a neck spasm

What to do if a muscle spasm occurs?

1. Choose a comfortable position during a spasm so that you can relax.
2. Try to squeeze tightly, as if to shorten the cramped muscle.
3. Apply cold to the area of ​​cramped muscles (ice, frozen grocery bag).
4. After relaxation, warm up the muscle with massage techniques. Make a tight bandage on the calves.
5. Those who have periodic seizures take medications that relieve symptoms in a matter of minutes.

If it occurs frequently, be sure to consult a doctor.

Any inhabitant of the planet can develop a muscle spasm of the neck under the influence of various factors; it is very unpredictable and it is not always possible to play it safe, no matter how hard you try. Most people live with this disease for the rest of their lives.

I sincerely wish that you do not experience these symptoms, but if they suddenly appear, then competently cope with the attacks using my advice.

I’ll end this article here. If the article was useful, share with your friends and subscribe to updates. Tell us about your cramps and how you managed to get rid of them?

Take care of yourself and your spine!

Neuralgia - muscle clamps 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 have muscle tension in this area.

How to get rid of the problem and watch the video, which presents an effective exercise for relieving 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 hypertonicity.

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 due to 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 and muscle stretching exercises effectively reduce 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 of metabolism, and the 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 from rutlib.com, gantvorg.ru

Muscle tone is essentially the degree of muscle elasticity and resistance that accompanies passive flexion or extension of the limbs. Muscle tone is determined by 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 diseases and damage to the nervous system, muscle tone may change. This or that type of violation leads to its decrease or increase. In accordance with this, hypo- and hypertonicity of muscles are distinguished.

Increased muscle tone can be:

• spastic;
• rigid.

A distinctive feature of the spastic appearance is unevenness and selectivity. The cause of its occurrence is disturbances that affect the components of the pyramidal system. In this case, we are talking about a chain of neurons, the main task of which 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 typical for the very beginning of the action. In the future, these manipulations are performed quite easily. When performing movements at a fast pace, such symptoms are more noticeable. Since there is damage to the motor center of the brain, the disorder affects not just one muscle, but a combination of them, for example, a group of foot flexors/extensors. This is precisely where the selective and uneven nature of this type of hypertonicity is manifested. Factors due to which it can occur include strokes, brain injuries, various nervous system disorders, meningitis, sclerosis, hypoxia, phenylketonuria and other diseases.

Rigid increased muscle tone is also called plastic. It manifests itself when 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, a certain posture in space is maintained, and so on. A distinctive feature of the rigid variety is that the difficulty in performing passive motor manipulations is permanent, resulting in spasms of all muscles. The limbs freeze in the positions they were given. In some cases, damaged pyramidal and extrapyramidal systems can lead to a mixed type of hypertonicity. As a rule, the cause of this pathology is brain tumors.

Reasons for increased muscle tone

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

1. Tired, tense muscles. When performing work for a long period of time, the muscles lose energy, which leads to the freezing of the muscle fiber in a contracted 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, spasms occur, as with overexertion. Very often, the appearance of such a spasm in the neck muscles is 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. A protective reaction to pain. In this case, we are talking about the occurrence of pain syndrome, spastic hypertonicity as a peculiar reaction, for example, damage to the spine leads to spasm of the corresponding muscles.
4. Bruises, lumbar pain. In the presence of pathologies of the spinal column, increased pain is observed.

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

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

If such a condition is a deviation for an adult, then for a newborn it is within the normal range. This is due to 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, throwing back the head - all these are signs of hypertonicity in a month-old baby.

The persistence of muscle tension at six months of age is a serious reason to contact a qualified specialist.

Symptoms and treatment

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

• tension, lack of mobility;
• discomfort when moving;
• muscle stiffness;
• spontaneous active movements;
• increased tendon reflexes;
• a slow process of relaxation of muscles that have undergone spasm.

In addition, hypertonicity of the calf muscles in adults is manifested by walking on their toes. This indicates the advanced nature of the disease from childhood. The occurrence of cramps is directly related to the tension of a muscle. With any mechanical impact, a person experiences severe pain. Hypertonicity of the leg muscles in adults as a result of prolonged tension leads to impaired blood circulation and the formation of painful compactions.

Hypertonicity in newborns is characterized by:

• restless, short sleep;
• a tense state of the upper and lower extremities;
• tilted back position of the head;
• resistance accompanying attempts to separate the baby’s upper and lower limbs;
• painful reaction to various stimuli, such as light;
• frequent regurgitation.

If you have the described signs of increased muscle tone, you should consult a doctor: a therapist or a neurologist. Rapid achievement of positive treatment results is ensured by timely contact with a specialist. At the first stage of treatment, the underlying disease that provoked the increase in muscle tone is overcome. The second stage is corrective and aimed at facilitating therapy.

Treatment of muscle hypertonicity can be carried out using:

1. relaxing massage;
2. physical therapy;
3. electrophoresis;
4. paraffin applications;
5. swimming;
6. drug treatment.

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

• relief of symptoms;
• reduction of spasmodic phenomena;
• facilitating motor activity.

Similar goals are achieved with the use of muscle relaxants and antipsychotics.

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

I. Hypotension

II. Hypertension

1. Spasticity.
2. Extrapyramidal rigidity.
3. The phenomenon of countercontinence (gegenhalten).
4. Catatonic rigidity.
5. Decortication and decerebrate rigidity. Hormetonia.
6. Myotonia.
7. Muscle tension (Stiffness).
8. Reflex hypertension: muscular-tonic syndromes in diseases of the joints, muscles and spine; stiff neck muscles due to meningitis; increased muscle tone in peripheral injury.
9. Other types of muscle hypertension.
10. Psychogenic muscular hypertension.

I. Hypotension

Hypotonia is manifested by a decrease in muscle tone below the normal physiological level and is most characteristic of injuries at the spinal-muscular level, but can also be observed in diseases of the cerebellum and some extrapyramidal disorders, primarily chorea. The range of movements in the joints (hyperextension) and the amplitude of passive excursions increases (especially in children). With atony, the given limb position cannot be maintained.

Diseases affecting the segmental level of the nervous system include poliomyelitis, progressive spinal amyotrophy, syringomyelia, neuropathies and polyneuropathy, as well as other diseases that involve the anterior horns, dorsal columns, roots and peripheral nerves. In the acute phase of a transverse spinal cord lesion, spinal shock develops, in which the activity of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and spinal reflexes is temporarily inhibited below the level of the lesion. The highest level of the spinal axis, dysfunction of which can lead to atony, is the caudal parts of the brainstem, the involvement of which in deep coma is accompanied by complete atony and portends a poor outcome of the coma.

Muscle tone can be reduced with cerebellar damage of various types, chorea, akinetic epileptic seizures, deep sleep, during fainting, states of impaired consciousness (syncope, metabolic coma) and immediately after death.

During attacks of cataplexy, usually associated with narcolepsy, in addition to weakness, muscle atony develops. The attacks are more often triggered by emotional stimuli and are usually accompanied by other manifestations of polysymptomatic narcolepsy. Rarely, cataplexy is a manifestation of a midbrain tumor. In the acute (“shock”) phase of a stroke, the paralyzed limb sometimes exhibits hypotension.

A separate problem is hypotension in infants(“flaccid child”), the causes of which are very diverse (stroke, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, birth injury, spinal muscular atrophy, congenital neuropathy with hypomyelination, congenital myasthenic syndromes, infant botulism, congenital myopathy, benign congenital hypotension).

Rarely, post-stroke hemiparesis (with isolated damage to the lentiform nucleus) is accompanied by a decrease in muscle tone.

II. Hypertension

Spasticity

Spasticity develops with any lesions of the cortical (upper) motor neuron and (mainly) the corticospinal (pyramidal) tract. In the genesis of spasticity, an imbalance of inhibitory and facilitatory influences from the reticular formation of the midbrain and brain stem, followed by an imbalance of alpha and gamma motor neurons of the spinal cord, is important. The “jackknife” phenomenon is often detected. The degree of hypertonicity can vary from mild to extremely severe, when the doctor is unable to overcome spasticity. Spasticity is accompanied by tendon hyperreflexia and pathological reflexes, clonus and, sometimes, protective reflexes and pathological synkinesis, as well as decreased surface reflexes.

With hemiparesis or hemiplegia of cerebral origin, spasticity is most pronounced in the flexor muscles of the arms and extensors of the legs. In bilateral cerebral (and some spinal) injuries, spasticity in the hip adductors leads to characteristic dysbasia. With relatively severe spinal injuries in the legs, flexor muscle spasm, reflexes of spinal automatism and flexor paraplegia are more often formed.

Extrapyramidal rigidity

Extrapyramidal rigidity is observed in diseases and injuries affecting the basal ganglia or their connections with the midbrain and the reticular formation of the brain stem. Increased tone applies to both flexors and extensors (increased muscle tone according to the plastic type); resistance to passive movements is noted when limbs move in all directions. The severity of rigidity may vary in the proximal and distal parts of the extremities, in the upper or lower part of the body, as well as on the right or left half of the body. At the same time, the “gear wheel” phenomenon is often observed.

The main causes of extrapyramidal rigidity: rigidity of this type is most often observed in Parkinson's disease and other parkinsonian syndromes (vascular, toxic, hypoxic, postencephalitic, posttraumatic and others). In this case, there is a tendency towards gradual involvement of all muscles, but the muscles of the neck, trunk and flexors are more severely affected. Muscle rigidity is combined here with symptoms of hypokinesia and (or) low frequency resting tremor (4-6 Hz). Postural disorders of varying severity are also characteristic. Rigidity on one side of the body increases with active movements of the contralateral limbs.

Less commonly, plastic hypertonicity is observed in tonic forms of dystonic syndromes (the debut of generalized dystonia, the tonic form of spastic torticollis, foot dystonia, etc.). This type of hypertonicity sometimes causes serious difficulties when carrying out a syndromic differential diagnosis (parkinsonism syndrome, dystonic syndrome, pyramidal syndrome). The most reliable way to recognize dystonia is to analyze its dynamics.

Dystonia (a term intended not to refer to muscle tone, but to a specific type of hyperkinesis) is manifested by muscle contractions that lead to characteristic postural (dystonic) phenomena.

The phenomenon of countercontinence

The phenomenon of countercontinence or gegenhalten is manifested by increasing resistance during any passive movements in all directions. At the same time, the doctor makes increasing efforts to overcome resistance.

Main reasons: the phenomenon is observed with damage to the corticospinal or mixed (corticospinal and extrapyramidal) tracts in the anterior (frontal) parts of the brain. The predominance of this symptom (as well as the grasping reflex) on one hand indicates bilateral damage to the frontal lobes with a predominance of damage in the contralateral hemisphere (metabolic, vascular, degenerative and other pathological processes).

Catatonic rigidity

There is no generally accepted definition of catatonia. This form of increased muscle tone is in many respects similar to extrapyramidal rigidity and probably has overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms. The phenomenon of “waxy flexibility”, predetermined “freezing poses” (catalepsy), “strange motor skills” against the background of severe mental disorders in the picture of schizophrenia are characteristic. Catatonia is a syndrome that has not yet received a clear conceptual design. It is unusual in that it blurs the line between psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Main reasons: catatonia syndrome has been described in non-convulsive forms of status epilepticus, as well as in some severe organic brain lesions (brain tumor, diabetic ketoacidosis, hepatic encephalopathy), which, however, requires further clarification. It is usually characteristic of schizophrenia. Within schizophrenia, catatonia manifests itself as a complex of symptoms including mutism, psychosis, and unusual motor activity, ranging from bursts of agitation to stupor. Associated manifestations: negativism, echolalia, echopraxia, stereotypies, mannerisms, automatic obedience.

Decortication and decerebrate rigidity

Decerebrate rigidity is manifested by constant rigidity in all extensors (anti-gravity muscles), which can sometimes intensify (spontaneously or with painful stimulation in a patient in a coma), manifested by forced extension of the arms and legs, their adduction, slight pronation and trismus. Decorticate rigidity is manifested by flexion of the elbow and wrist joints with extension of the legs and feet. Decerebrate rigidity in comatose patients (“pathological extensor postures”, “extensor postural reactions”) has a worse prognosis compared to decortication rigidity (“pathological flexor postures”).

Similar generalized rigidity or spasticity with retraction (extension) of the neck and, sometimes, the trunk (opisthotonus) can be observed with meningitis or meningism, the tonic phase of an epileptic seizure and with processes in the posterior fossa, occurring with intracranial hypertension.

A variant of extensor and flexor spasms in a patient in a coma is rapidly changing muscle tone in the limbs (hormetonia) in patients in the acute phase of a hemorrhagic stroke.

Myotonia

Congenital and acquired types of myotonia, myotonic dystrophy, paramyotonia and, sometimes, myxedema are manifested by increased muscle tone, which, as a rule, is detected not during passive movements, but after an active voluntary contraction. With paramyotonia, a pronounced increase in muscle tone is provoked by cold. Myotonia is detected in the test of clenching the fingers into a fist, manifested by delayed relaxation of spasmodic muscles; Repeated movements lead to a gradual restoration of normal movements. Electrical stimulation of muscles causes increased contraction and delayed relaxation (the so-called myotonic response). Percussion (a hammer blow) of the tongue or thenar reveals a characteristic myotonic phenomenon - a “dimple” at the site of impact and adduction of the thumb with delayed muscle relaxation. Muscles may be hypertrophied.

Muscle tension (stiffness)

Muscle tension is a special group of syndromes, associated in its pathogenesis primarily with spinal (interneurons) or peripheral damage (motor unit hyperactivity syndromes).

Isaacs syndrome (neuromyotonia, pseudomyotonia) is manifested by rigidity, which appears first in the distal parts of the extremities and gradually spreads to the proximal, axial and other muscles (face, bulbar muscles) with difficulty in movements, dysbasia and constant myokymia in the affected muscles.

Stiff-person syndrome, on the contrary, begins with rigidity of the axial and proximal muscles (mainly the muscles of the pelvic girdle and trunk) and is accompanied by characteristic spasms of great intensity in response to external stimuli of different modalities (enhanced startle reaction) .

Close to this group of muscular-tonic disorders are McArdle's disease, paroxysmal myoglobulinemia, and tetanus (tetanus).

Tetanus is an infectious disease manifested by generalized muscle rigidity, although the muscles of the face and lower jaw are the earliest to be affected. Against this background, muscle spasms are characteristic, occurring spontaneously or in response to tactile, auditory, visual and other stimuli. Between spasms, severe, usually generalized, rigidity persists

"Reflex" rigidity

“Reflex” rigidity combines syndromes of muscle-tonic tension in response to painful stimulation in diseases of the joints, spine and muscles (for example, protective muscle tension in appendicitis; myofascial syndromes; cervicogenic headaches; other vertebrogenic syndromes; increased muscle tone in peripheral injury).

Other types of muscle hypertension include muscle rigidity during a seizure, tetany, and some other conditions.

High muscle tone is observed during the tonic phase of generalized seizures. Sometimes purely tonic epileptic seizures without a clonic phase are observed. The pathophysiology of this hypertonicity is not completely clear.

Tetany is manifested by a syndrome of increased neuromuscular excitability (Chvostek's, Trousseau's, Erb's symptoms, etc.), carpo-pedal spasms, and paresthesia. More often there are variants of latent tetany against the background of hyperventilation and other psychovegetative disorders. A rarer cause is endocrinopathy (hypoparathyroidism).

Psychogenic hypertension

Psychogenic hypertension is most clearly manifested in the classic picture of a psychogenic (hysterical) seizure (pseudo-seizure) with the formation of a “hysterical arc”, with the pseudo-dystonic version of psychogenic hyperkinesis, and also (less often) in the picture of lower pseudoparaparesis with pseudo-hypertonicity in the feet.

What does increased tone in a child mean? 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 age it is normal. 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 manifested 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 baby 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;
• presence of 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 in all the muscles of 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 in 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:

1. 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.
2. 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).
3. Symmetrical and asymmetrical reflexes should fade by three months. While lying on your back, if you turn your head to the left, your left arm and leg will straighten, and your right arm, on the contrary, will bend. When pressing your chin to your chest, lying on your back, bend your arms and straighten your legs.
4. 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 the age of six months, the symptoms of increased muscle tone persist and a neurologist has diagnosed muscle hypertonicity, with proper treatment, the 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 the small age of the patient, before the massage it is necessary to lubricate your hands with oil, 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. If there is a negative reaction to your actions, it is better to stop the massage for children and eliminate the cause of dissatisfaction (it could be the cold hands of the massage therapist or low temperature in the room).

Massage manipulations

They can be divided into:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
• Swing the arms in different directions, do the same with the legs, swinging the legs while holding them by the shins.

It is better to end the massage with light strokes to calm the excited 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 of the big toe, you should press lightly, the fingers close together, then move along the outer part of the foot, the fingers 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. Having bent the legs at the knee joint, the knees are spread in opposite directions, and the feet are folded 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 a particular medicinal plant is the child’s individual tolerance.

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:

1. Delay in the child's motor activity. He starts crawling and walking late. Coordination of movements is impaired, incorrect gait and posture are formed.
2. With hypertonicity of the hands, fine motor skills suffer; the child is unable to grasp objects with his hands and cannot fully manipulate them.
3. Curvature of the spine.
4. Delay in general development (speech impairment), mental development.
5. Disruption of the internal organs of the child.

Child mode for hypertension

In the alternation of feeding, sleeping and playing the baby should not be much different from a 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.