A term widely used to define those alterations in muscle tone that manifests itself with an increase in it or lack of control by neurons is known by the name of hypertonia. Hypertonia is widely studied in the world of physiotherapy and can affect a large part of the population.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you everything you need to know about closeness, its characteristics and how it can affect the body.
What is hypertonia
Hypertonia is a term used to define changes in muscle tone, which manifest as increased muscle tone and lack of control of motor neurons located in areas of the central nervous system.
Muscle tone is defined as the resistance that a muscle presents when it is passively mobilized, that is, it is a physiological mechanism of the organism to produce muscular obstacles when it is changed. Among them are hypertonia, hypotonia, dystonia and stiffness.
Hypertonia is a change that involves increased tension when the muscle moves passively. In addition, patients can limit themselves to performing active muscle contractions and moving their joints in a controlled and coordinated manner. This is the cause of pain, deformity, and limited participation.
But depending on the type, it will also present other characteristics and different movement responses. Spasticity is caused by the rigid product of the defect de regulation of the myotonic reflex and the failure of mutual inhibition.
How is evaluated
In general, to assess muscle tone, the patient must first be placed in the most appropriate position to test the muscle (supine or prone), then the measurement is carried out.
Let's see what are the specific guidelines to evaluate the one they put:
- Spasticity: It must be mobilized and fairly smooth and you have to wait for a response from the razor sign. Normally this sign is usually manifested with an interruption of movement that then subsides.
- Rigidity: It will move in the same way and with low speed. Unlike spasticity, it usually responds to various interruptions until movement is complete.
Causes of hypertonia
Both types of diseases are caused by damage to the central nervous system, but both are caused by damage to different parts. For example, spasticity is characteristic of cerebral palsy, stroke, and lesions of the cerebral cortex, while hypertonicity is caused by supranuclear palsy, Parkinson's disease, degeneration of the cortical basal ganglia, and cerebellar lesions.
High blood pressure affects children, babies, and adults, so treatment will achieve different goals. Increased muscle tone is caused by injuries and diseases that affect the process of recording length and stretching changes, and the mechanism by which the muscular system must determine when to contract a group of muscles and inhibit their execution.
So, due to defects in the upper center (brain, cortex, motor neurons, cerebellum), the signals sent to the muscles will not be activated physiologically, they will respond with limited movement.
Although hyperosmolarity occurs at any age, the importance of its diagnosis is especially important for babies. During pregnancy, the baby remains in the fetal position for a long time. This can cause your muscle tone to become hypertonic after delivery. However, the disease does not necessarily appear over time and the symptoms are temporary. In any case, it is beneficial to visit a professional physical therapist to ensure the health of the child. Don't forget the urgency of adult diagnosis and treatment.
Hypertonia and hypotonia
Similarly, hypertonia can be distinguished from hypotonia. Hypotonia involves a decrease in muscle tone. Excessive muscle tension leads to stiffness in movement, while too low muscle tension leads to relaxation. Both will reduce physical activity, but can be used to strengthen muscular physical activity to treat hypotonia. In addition, both can accompany courses in physical medicine.
Hypertonia can be treated with medications to prevent diseases caused by pathologies. Although if we combine it with physiotherapy, the results will be more beneficial. Adapting to the implementation of massage and therapy disciplines allows patients to improve their quality of life.
Spasticity, dystonia, and stiffness
Spasticity is the most common type of hypertonia in children with cerebral palsy. It is characterized by speed, that is, the higher the speed of muscle stretching, the greater the resistance to joint movement, and it usually appears quickly at a limit speed or a certain speed. In addition, it can vary based on external factors, such as pain, alertness, etc. Physical examination is accompanied by signs of first motor neuron involvement, such as clonus, hyperreflexia, and Babinski's sign.
Dystonia is another cause of hypertonia and can be defined as a change in movement, in which continuous or intermittent muscle contractions occur, causing the patient to "twist," perform repetitive or stiff movements, or change posture. Focal dystonia can affect specific muscle groups in a certain part of the body, or they can be general.
Finally, stiffness is defined as a situation in which the joints produce resistance to the examiner's movement and the following situations exist:
- It does not depend on the speed of movement.
- Agonist and antagonist muscles can contract together and resistance to joint movement increases immediately.
- The limbs do not tend to return to a certain position or fixed angle.
- Voluntary long-distance muscle contraction will not cause abnormal movement of stiff joints.
Whatever the problem, it is highly recommended to visit a physiotherapist so that he can establish a suitable treatment for the named diseases. It is important to act urgently so that the problem is not serious and the specialist has much more margin to be able to make a good diagnosis and treatment.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about hypertonia and its characteristics.