Advertising on the portal

Why is uterine hypertonicity dangerous during pregnancy? What causes uterine hypertonicity: how to understand the cause and how to treat this symptom. What does “toned uterus” mean and is it dangerous during pregnancy? Severe hypertonicity

The movements of our body occur due to the work of muscles. Muscle tension and tone are regulated by the central nervous system, the human brain. Maintaining normal tone is necessary for moving in space, walking upright and any other physical actions. Muscle tone in newborns plays a huge role in development. makes physical activity difficult, and increased levels create a feeling of discomfort and prevent the baby from developing the necessary motor skills.

The baby’s muscle tone is very important for his physical development in infancy and beyond.

Muscle tone in infants

Constant excessive muscle tension is called hypertonicity. Hypertonicity is most often asymmetrical. The cause of overstrain lies in the activity of the central nervous system. The bent arms and legs of a healthy baby, the fingers clenched into a fist, are easy to unclench. If it is not possible to straighten the limbs, the maximum opening angle is no more than 45⁰, this signals a pathology. A baby who has defects in the development of the central nervous system is usually inactive - he maintains the fetal position. Often such a baby can hold his head suspended from the first days of life, but this is not a sign of advanced development, but a consequence of hypertonicity.

You should not give your child a terrible diagnosis on your own. Only a specialist can determine whether the tone is within normal limits - you need to consult a pediatrician, and also show the child to a neurologist.

Causes of hypertension

Dear reader!

This article talks about typical ways to solve your issues, but each case is unique! If you want to know how to solve your particular problem, ask your question. It's fast and free!

Increased tone can appear due to completely innocent reasons, but it can also be a sign of a serious illness. In order to recognize the disease in time, one should not be indifferent to this phenomenon.

The main reasons that can lead to muscle strain in infants:

  1. Infant physiology. Newborns may experience so-called physiological hypertonicity, due to the fact that in the womb the child was in a characteristic “grouped” position - the fetal position. After birth, it takes some time for the muscles to relax and begin to function normally. Bent legs with slightly spread knees, pressed to the stomach, bent arms, chin pressed to the chest can persist in a six-month-old baby and a year. The duration of physiological hypertonicity, according to the estimates of different specialists, varies greatly, but the above periods are considered to be within normal limits.
  2. Hypertonicity in newborns can also be explained by individual characteristics. Muscle tone in different children is different by nature, some have it higher, some have it lower, but this does not affect their health in any way. It is impossible to distinguish an individual level of muscle tension from a pathological condition on your own, so if you have any suspicions, you should consult a doctor and undergo a full examination.
  3. Increased muscle tone can also occur as a result of birth trauma. Long difficult labor, fetal asphyxia, increased intracranial pressure and hemorrhage can lead to such consequences.
  4. Pathology of intrauterine development, congenital disorders of the central nervous system, associated both with the health of the expectant mother and with her living conditions and behavioral characteristics, can also be causes of hypertonicity in the newborn. It is especially dangerous for the baby’s nervous system when a pregnant woman consumes nicotine and alcohol.


 Many babies take the same fetal position for some time after birth - their body has become very accustomed to it over many months. This phenomenon may be a sign of hypertension

How to determine that the tone is increased?

A number of symptoms suggest that the baby’s muscles are in hypertonicity. If you notice at least some of the symptoms from the list below, you should consult a doctor. Parents should be alert to:

  1. Restless, often interrupted sleep, screaming at the moment of waking up. Difficulty falling asleep, as well as a characteristic posture during sleep: the head is thrown back, arms and legs are pressed to the body.
  2. Frequent crying with trembling of the chin, while the head is thrown back (we recommend reading:).
  3. A sharply negative reaction to light and sound, even with minor exposure.
  4. The ability to hold your head up from the first days of life.
  5. Severe regurgitation, abdominal cramps.
  6. Difficulties, strong resistance when trying to spread the baby's arms or legs to the sides.
  7. The baby does not stand on his feet and “dances” on tiptoes.

The presence of several of these signs should lead parents and their child to see a doctor. To clarify the symptoms of hypertension, the doctor will check certain reflexes:

  1. Stepper. An infant under 2 months of age, held in the arms of an adult in an upright position, takes a step.
  2. Support. The baby, who is in an upright position, should stand on his full foot.
  3. Symmetry and asymmetry. A baby lying on his back will bend his arms and straighten his legs if his head is raised and tilted towards his chest. When you tilt your head to the right or left, the arm and leg corresponding to the tilt will straighten, and the opposite ones will bend. The reflex disappears in a 3-month-old child.
  4. Tonic. A child laid on his back straightens his limbs, but if he is turned onto his stomach, they bend. The reflex disappears after 3 months.

Reflexes that do not disappear by the required age signal the development of the disease. In this case, hypertonicity is diagnosed, which should be treated by a neurologist.



 If the baby began to hold his head very early (or even from birth), you need to check him for the presence of hypertonicity

Objectives and methods of treating hypertension in infants

Diseases associated with the occurrence of hypertonicity are treated by neurologists and orthopedists. The main goals of treatment are:

  • pain relief;
  • elimination of spasm;
  • relaxation.

Various modern medicines are used to treat hypertension. Massage, exercise therapy, physiotherapy and traditional drug treatment are recommended.

Types of massage used for hypertension

The purpose of all massage movements used in the treatment of hypertension is to relieve spasms and relax tense muscles. To improve the baby’s condition, massage according to the Phelps method, massage according to the Semenova method, impact on certain active points of the body, as well as a number of other methods are used. Any massage actions applied to a newborn must be very careful and gentle. Stroking and rubbing are acceptable - preferably with an open palm, acupressure without pain. The procedure can only be entrusted to a qualified specialist.



 It is best to entrust a massage for hypertension to a professional pediatrician - he will also be able to show the necessary movements to parents

A massage course usually consists of 10-15 procedures. After a month, if necessary, the cycle can be repeated. A professionally performed massage is a very effective remedy. Parents can learn to perform basic movements:

  • stroking the fingers, similar to movements when putting on gloves;
  • stroking the arms from the shoulder to the palms, skipping the elbow joint;
  • stroking the legs from the groin to the foot, skipping the joints, but continuing the movement on the foot;
  • stroking the feet from heel to toes;
  • the toes are massaged in the same way as the hands;
  • rubbing (only after stroking) the arms, legs, back, and tummy in a circular motion clockwise;
  • rubbing the foot: starting from the base of the toes, draw a figure eight down with the lines intersecting in the middle of the foot, the bottom of the figure eight falls on the heel.

Kneading is not performed in children's massage, especially with hypertonicity. Patting and tapping are prohibited; do not press on tense nodes.

Gymnastics at home

You can also perform a number of gymnastic exercises at home. Gymnastics helps relax muscles and increases motor activity. A few exercises that will help your baby:

  1. Preparation. The child should lie on his back, the adult should stroke his arms from shoulder to hand and legs from hip to foot so that the baby relaxes.
  2. Careful extensions. It is necessary to alternately straighten the baby's arms and legs without much effort, without making sudden movements.
  3. Shaking. Taking the arm or leg by the fingers, you should carefully shake it 4-7 times, then repeat the procedure with the remaining limbs.
  4. Flexion. The baby is placed in a fetal position. The arms and legs bend, the head tilts towards the chest. It is useful to alternate this exercise with the previous one. All actions are carried out very carefully, without unnecessary effort.
  5. Steps. The baby should be picked up and placed on the table so that the entire foot touches the surface. You can let go of the child a little so that he can rest on his own soles for a moment. This helps to form the foot correctly.
  6. Exercise with feet. Light bends and turns - if the baby likes it, he himself will pull his toes towards his face and try to put them in his mouth.
  7. Swinging on the ball. The baby is placed on his stomach on a large ball, which should be rocked while holding the baby by the legs and arms.

Therapeutic gymnastics gives good results, but it must be done regularly, preferably several times a day. The baby should love these activities and not experience discomfort.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

The most common procedures in the treatment of hypertension are electrophoresis and paraffin wraps. Heat treatments are indicated to relax tense muscles. Electrophoresis allows you to introduce certain therapeutic drugs into the body. Paraffin wraps are most often done on the baby's legs.

Duration of procedures:

  • Treatment usually begins in 10 minutes;
  • gradually the duration of the procedure increases to 20 minutes;
  • The treatment cycle consists of 10 sessions.

Water procedures

Water procedures (aquatherapy) also help to relax muscle tension. Swimming improves coordination of movements and evenly loads the muscles of the whole body. It is very important to remember that cold water stimulates muscle function and increases muscle tone. Warm water has a relaxing effect.

Diving is not recommended for a child with muscle hypertonicity, but swimming and underwater gymnastics will help relieve spasm (see also:). It is advisable to conduct classes in a playful way. A number of herbs will enhance the effect of water procedures, these include: sage, valerian, motherwort, pine needles, lingonberry leaves. Water procedures should be performed before bedtime, and herbs should be alternated.



 Even a regular evening swim in warm water has a relaxing effect and reduces muscle tone.

Osteopathic effects

This time-tested direction in medicine involves treating the whole body as a whole. The manipulations are aimed at improving the circulation of fluids in the body and are carried out in the form of a gentle effect on bone tissue.

This highly effective method of alternative medicine can only be used by a qualified pediatric osteopath. Osteopathy sessions can help with neurological disorders caused by birth injuries, and even congenital defects of the skeletal structure. Bringing the bones to the correct physiological position leads to the elimination of muscle spasms and the removal of pathological reflexes.

By the way, osteopaths recommend refraining from using walkers and similar devices that can aggravate the problem. Their use can lead to incorrect foot placement and impaired functioning of the muscles of the lower extremities. You should also pay attention to the baby’s shoes, especially those who have begun to walk. It should have a heel, a hard sole and an age-appropriate heel. We remove all booties and other soft shoes.



 Osteopathy offers a comprehensive effect on the body, carried out under the guidance of an experienced specialist in this field of alternative medicine

Medicines for hypertension

Medicines are prescribed to infants if all the procedures described above do not give the desired result. Medicines are prescribed when the baby’s muscle tone does not return to normal after the baby reaches the age of 6 months.

Medicines prescribed by a neurologist belong to one of the following groups:

  • muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle spasms;
  • Neuroprotectors are used to improve blood circulation and restore brain functions;
  • Diuretics are used to reduce intracranial pressure and stimulate brain activity.

Most often, Mydocalm, Semax, Baclofen, Pantocalcin and Cortexin are prescribed, as well as B vitamins. In severe cases, Cerebrolysin may be prescribed. All medications are prescribed to the baby by injection.

The well-known and popular pediatrician Komarovsky these days believes that increased muscle tone should never be ignored. It may signal a serious illness, but in this case other symptoms will also be present. You should definitely undergo a diagnostic examination to make sure that the hypertonicity is physiological in nature. A video with lessons from Dr. Komarovsky will help parents better understand the problem.

Pregnancy is a time associated not only with the happy anticipation of the baby’s appearance, but also a period of adaptation of the woman’s body to the state of pregnancy and the fight against gestational complications. One of these pathological conditions, which seems to be the most common during pregnancy, is increased uterine tone. In this article, we will consider the problem of uterine hypertonicity during pregnancy, highlight the pathogenesis, clinical picture, and present diagnostics and methods of combating this problem.

What is uterine tone?

Uterine tone is a normal state of the female reproductive organ, which is characterized by short-term contraction of the myometrium (the middle muscular layer of the uterus) in response to various types of influences. For example, the motor activity of the embryo, and after 22 weeks - the fetus, a full bladder, increased intestinal motility. The tone of the uterus without pregnancy may increase before and during menstruation.

Reasons for the appearance of tone in the first trimester

Uterine tone in the early stages can be caused by various factors, of which 80% are attributed to congenital developmental anomalies. Women must be aware of this fact and, while maintaining a pregnancy in a hospital setting, must give written consent to continue the pregnancy. Also, the tone of the uterus in early pregnancy can be caused by hormonal dysfunction in the form of progesterone deficiency and the impact of stress factors on the female body.

Reasons for the appearance of tone in the second trimester

In the second trimester, a woman may also experience increased uterine tone during pregnancy, the reasons for which lie in the low level of progesterone (the main hormone of pregnancy), which has a relaxing effect, the presence of infections of various etiologies, and disruption of the intestines in the form of increased peristalsis.

Reasons for the appearance of tone in the third trimester

Unfortunately, even in the third trimester, increased uterine tone occurs in pregnant women. Its causes include low levels of progesterone, which can be aggravated by the development of placental dysfunction and its aging, because it is the placenta that produces the main amount of progesterone. When disturbances occur, its hormonal function also suffers. Polyhydramnios, multiple pregnancies, and infectious factors can serve as a trigger for the development of complications such as the threat of premature birth. Also, at any gestational stage, the cause of hypertension can be the presence of pathologies concomitant with pregnancy, such as uterine fibroids, endocrine diseases, hematological pathologies.

Why is uterine tone and hypertonicity dangerous?

Women quite often do not take increased tone seriously and do not take any measures to stop it. This occurs due to the representatives of the fair sex not knowing why uterine tone is dangerous. Dangerous complications of myometrial hypertonicity include:

Methods for treating uterine tone and preventing its manifestations

Due to the development of information technology and the Internet, many pregnant women begin to look for answers to the question “how to relieve uterine tone” on forums. The most frequently discussed topic on such pages is the tone of the uterus, how to relieve this condition at home. This is the most basic mistake that can be fatal. Only obstetrician-gynecologists know how to relieve uterine tone during pregnancy, depending on the etiology, and only in a hospital setting.

How to remove uterine tone with drug therapy?

Preventive measures in the development of uterine hypertonicity are:

If any symptom of a pathological course of pregnancy occurs, you should immediately seek help from a medical facility!

Consequences and complications of pregnancy with uterine hypertonicity

As can be seen from the above, the main consequences of increased uterine tone are conditions that aggravate the course of a given pregnancy and can lead to the death of both the fetus at birth with signs of extreme prematurity, and the death of the woman herself, if we are talking about abruption of a normally located placenta or central presentation due to the occurrence of pathological tone of the uterus.

The tone of the uterus during pregnancy can have serious consequences, the symptoms of which every pregnant woman should know in order to protect herself and her unborn child from complications of this condition.

Uterine hypertonicity is a very common diagnosis. It is diagnosed based on the complaints of a pregnant woman, as well as on the results of palpation and ultrasound. It should be noted that the attitude towards this phenomenon in Russia and Europe is very different. Thus, most Russian doctors assure that increased uterine tone, detected by any of the above methods, necessarily requires treatment, otherwise there is a high risk of miscarriage. Abroad they think differently. That tone, determined only by ultrasound or when examining the abdomen by a doctor, in the absence of complaints from the expectant mother, is a normal, physiological phenomenon that does not need to be treated. Let's try to find the truth.

Symptoms of uterine hypertonicity- this is petrification in the lower abdomen (in the first trimester), nagging pain. In the last trimester, the tone is even more pronounced. It may not be your stomach that hurts, but your lower back. In what cases should you consult a doctor? Of course, if possible, for any ailments that tend to recur. So, if hypertonicity of the uterus during pregnancy bothers you daily and for a long time, accompanied by pain, and even more so if you notice blood or watery discharge on your underwear, you need to urgently undergo an examination by a gynecologist and have an ultrasound done. In a word, it is very important to distinguish physiological tone from the onset of labor and contractions that directly lead to dilatation of the cervix. But in this case, the woman will not only feel slight discomfort, but pain that occurs at short intervals with increasing intensity. You can monitor the activity of muscle contractions of the uterus using cardiotocography, a procedure that has been used in obstetrics for many years to monitor the heart contractions of children in utero.

How else can tone be dangerous? If the uterus contracts frequently and actively, this can cause hypoxia in the fetus and a lack of nutrients will occur. In severe situations, even placental abruption is possible. Such pathologies are quite common, but there is no clear evidence that tone plays a major role in their occurrence. After all, uterine hypertonicity is what it is - contraction of the muscular layer of the uterus, contraction of the endometrium. The endometrium can contract when sneezing, coughing, uncomfortable body position, during exercise, during excitement, during sexual arousal, etc. These are the causes of uterine hypertonicity. It is unlikely that it will be possible to exclude all these factors, and it is not necessary.

Most often, uterine tone occurs at the very beginning of pregnancy and at its end, then this phenomenon is called preparatory contractions. More often, women with developmental defects of this organ (for example, with a bicornuate uterus) complain of painful contractions of the uterus, if the pregnancy is multiple, with polyhydramnios, etc. In addition, it has been noticed that hypertonicity of the uterus along the posterior and anterior walls is more often noticed by women who are pregnant for the first time. The emotional state and fear have an effect, while multiparous women treat all these phenomena more calmly.

Treatment of uterine hypertonicity should be carried out only when indicated. In hospitals, vitamin therapy is usually used (it should be noted that it is ineffective) and tocolytic drugs. In general, all pregnant women are recommended to keep antispasmodics at home - No-shpu and papaverine suppositories. Of course, they will not be able to prevent miscarriage and premature birth (drugs containing progesterone are used to prevent them), but they will improve the condition - they will remove the spasm, but you will only need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

And a little more about how to relieve uterine hypertonicity at home.

1. Get into cat pose (first go down on all fours, then lower your buttocks onto your heels, stretch your arms forward and relax).

2. Lie on your side, breathe deeply and calmly.

3. Lie on your back and place a pillow under your pelvis. This recommendation is good only for the early stages of pregnancy, since in longer periods the heavy uterus begins to put strong pressure on the vena cava, thereby worsening the mother’s well-being and causing a lack of oxygen in the child.

4. Completely relax your facial muscles - this is very important.

Regarding the benefits of stroking the belly, not everything is clear here. Over long periods of time, in some women this can provoke hypertonicity of the uterus along the anterior wall.

Be attentive to your health, don’t worry again. And may your pregnancy be easy!


09.05.2019 19:12:00
How to stimulate digestion to lose weight?
The pants are tight, the stomach is pressing: the feeling of tightness and fullness in the stomach spoils the mood. It shouldn't be like this! We'll show you how to stimulate digestion and lose weight!

09.05.2019 18:35:00
Flat stomach: these 9 foods you can't eat!
A flat stomach in your favorite jeans or a swimsuit - can you only dream about it? Then you should do without the following 9 products.

08.05.2019 20:31:00
Do you want to increase your muscles? Avoid these products!
If you want to build muscle, you must not only go full throttle in your workouts, but also pay attention to your diet. To achieve maximum success, you should cross out the following foods.

The Latin term used was tonus, meaning tension. Muscle tone at rest, both in children and adults, is physiological muscle tension, which is under the control of the reflex apparatus.

You can distinguish the muscle tone itself, which depends on the processes in them themselves. These are, for example, stretching, compression and the presence of the necessary “nutrient” ions - potassium, chlorine, calcium. Neuromuscular tone is also distinguished, depending on the impulses sent by nerve cells.

At rest, any muscle in the body is not completely relaxed, because not only the rapid response to various external and internal stimuli, but also the impact on the vital functions of the body depends on this tension. Let's take breathing for example. This act involves not only the lungs, but also the muscular frame of the chest and the diaphragm, which, by the way, is also a muscle.

Parents are told that the child has increased muscle tone, muscle hypertension, or muscle hypertonicity. But, unfortunately, no one explains what it is and what to do. All these terms denote the muscle tension that the doctor will feel when he takes the baby’s hand or leg and makes passive movements (flexion and extension).

Correctly distracting the child from the doctor’s actions, timely switching the baby’s attention, his eyes without tears - all this will only help the doctor more accurately determine muscle tone and help the baby.

It is passive movements that will allow us to identify and differentiate one of the types of hypertonicity:

1. Spastic hypertension.

It is characterized by an increase in the tone of the muscles responsible for flexing the arm and/or extending the leg. For example, if we bend and straighten a child’s legs for a long time, the tone in the legs will not change at all. That is, no matter how elevated it was, it remains so. The severity can be completely different: from slight resistance at the beginning of the movement to a complete obstacle to the beginning of passive movement.

2. Plastic hypertension or rigidity.

This is a uniform increase in tone for both extensor and flexor muscles. During the entire passive flexion, the examiner detects a jerk-like, uniform resistance. If we repeat these movements for a long time, then most likely we will experience, for example, an additional increase in the tone of the legs.

3. Some doctors distinguish physiological hypertonicity.

By this term I mean the condition inherent in children during the first weeks after their birth - “fetal position”. It is believed that the baby has become “accustomed” to this position during its stay in the mother’s womb and should not be treated.

Reasons for increased muscle tone in a child

  • pregnancy complicated by the presence of endocrinological and cardiovascular diseases;
  • chromosomal abnormalities, congenital diseases that increase tone in newborns;
  • injuries that the child received at birth;
  • severe intrauterine hypoxia;
  • developmental anomalies and malformations of the brain and spinal cord;
  • severe hemolytic disease of newborns, which occurs due to Rh conflict.

    In this case, it is better to prevent pathology. Competent consultation with obstetricians and gynecologists is necessary. Especially if this is the second or third pregnancy with Rh incompatibility between the fetus and the mother;

  • intrauterine infection;
  • the presence of neuropsychic stress during the entire period of pregnancy and poor environmental conditions;
  • infectious diseases (meningitis, encephalitis) and injuries suffered by the baby after birth.

How can parents determine hypertension? Increased muscle tone in a baby can be determined by looking at your child. The newborn lies in the “fetal position” after birth. His arms are pressed to his chest, bent at the elbows, the baby’s fingers are “hidden” in his fists, and his legs are bent at the knees. In this case, the child’s head is positioned straight, does not deviate to the side, the left and right halves of the body are symmetrical to each other.

And if you turn a month-old baby on his tummy, he will turn his head to one side and his legs will create movements similar to crawling. This pose is created by slightly increasing the tone of the flexors. More often it lasts up to one to one and a half months.

Pay attention to your child, watch him. If he is lying in an unnatural position, one arm or leg is pressed tightly against the body and is difficult to move to the side, the baby is squeezed into one lump, or, conversely, the legs are extended and the arms are at the seams, he should be shown to a pediatric neurologist.

From 1.5 to 3 months, the baby brings his hands to his mouth, a little later (by three months) he tries to pull his hands towards the hanging toy. During these two months, the baby learns to manipulate his hands, makes movements towards an object or an adult’s hand, and grabs a toy. At this moment, he is already holding the head, not throwing it back.

Also, the baby must respond adequately to sounds, that is, turn his head towards the source. When the child pulls himself up to your arms, he simultaneously moves his legs - bends them.

When turning over onto his stomach, the child raises his head, rests on his forearms and rises slightly, and his legs make crawling movements.

Mastery of his body and control over seemingly simple movements is not easy for a baby, but gradually, by the age of three months, he performs the above manipulations.

From three months of age onwards, your baby can make small, purposeful movements: bringing a hand to his mouth, grabbing and pulling a toy. When the baby lies on his back, he opens his palms. They are no longer clenched into fists; the legs and arms are in a half-bent position. While on his stomach, the child holds his head confidently, independently changes his position, and begins to crawl. Learns to shift the center of gravity and find balance.

From this period, an increase in muscle tone should not be observed. The exception is for children born ahead of schedule and recognized as premature. Babies after six months should not stand on tiptoes. If this happens, there is persistent hypertonicity of the legs.

What will the lack of treatment for hypertension in infants lead to?

Hypertonicity in a child that was not identified and treated before one year of age can affect the formation of motor skills:

  • Proper coordination of arms and legs is disrupted, therefore, such children later begin to crawl, hold objects, and walk;
  • the coordination of the baby’s general movements is impaired. Due to lack of training of the vestibular apparatus, frequent “motion sickness” is observed when traveling in transport, which can persist into adulthood;
  • The child develops incorrect posture. After a year, lordosis does not form; the cervical region suffers mainly in this regard. Against this background, the child begins to suffer from headaches, the baby becomes hyperexcitable and aggressive;
  • Hypertonicity in infants affects speech development. The baby, as a rule, does not babble. At an older age, this is expressed in difficulties in social adaptation in a children's group and poor performance at school.

How to help normalize increased muscle tone in infants?

Firstly, if you are worried about the child’s behavior, expressed in poor sleep with an unnatural posture (the head is thrown back, and the arms and legs are pressed to the body and do not relax when he is deeply asleep), a restless mood with crying, accompanied by convulsions and increased tension in the baby’s muscles , then you should consult a doctor.

The neurologist will examine the baby, analyze clinical studies and be sure to look at the results of neurosonography. Only after this the doctor will prescribe the necessary adequate therapy.

Parents need to learn to trust their child’s doctor. Only joint work will help the baby become healthy. Trying on your own may lead to a deterioration in muscle tone.

Hypertonicity in children is treatable. Treatment for high muscle tone should be aimed not only at relieving it, but also at the cause that caused it.

Treatment of hypertonicity is always complex, consisting of massage, therapeutic exercises and physiotherapy.

The main condition for successful treatment of a child is his calmness. Manipulations that cause crying should not be carried out. It is necessary to initially relieve the overstrain of the nervous system.

To calm, normalize sleep and muscle tone, the child is prescribed baths with herbal infusions (valerian collection, pine oils). The water in the bath should be at a comfortable temperature, gently relaxing the baby. It is better to control the temperature of the water using special thermometers. Pre-brew packaged valerian or two tablespoons of loose herb in 1 liter of boiling water. Wait for it to cool and pour into the prepared bath. Give the baby a bath.

For children over 6 months old, local baths can be used - only for arms or legs with play elements. Calming herbs can also be used here.

It is advisable to give your baby Glycine thirty minutes before bedtime, but this only after consultation with a pediatric neurologist.

Together with the treatment of increased muscle tone in a child, it is necessary to prevent the development of rickets. To do this, do not forget about walks in the fresh air, especially in summer.

Massage for muscle hypertonicity in a child should follow the following rules:

  1. A soothing massage is used to relax the muscles.
  2. Smooth movements made without unnecessary effort will not cause protest from the baby.
  3. Hands massaging the child should be warm and dry. You also won’t like the touch of cold, sticky hands on your skin. For better glide, you can use a cream without a strong odor.
  4. The room should be warm and comfortable so that the baby does not strain his muscles in an attempt to retain body heat.
  5. Try not to feed your baby for about an hour before a relaxing massage.
  6. After the massage, the child needs warmth, do not overcool him.

Initially, it is advisable to take a course of massage for tone in combination with physiotherapy and aromatherapy in a neurological or rehabilitation department. Children should attend such treatment courses approximately once every three months. The rest of the time, correction is carried out at home and in clinics.

An example of a “home” massage for parents

Dear parents, here are some examples of massage movements and light gymnastic exercises that you can use during the period of home treatment:

  • place the baby on his back. Warm your hands. Start stroking in the area where the tone is highest. Massage of the legs and arms must be carried out from top to bottom, that is, from the hips or shoulders to the toes. It is advisable to talk to your baby at this moment, explain what you are doing;
  • If the child has his fingers hidden in his fists or clenches his toes, then it is also necessary to apply light strokes in these places, aimed at straightening the toes. Take the baby's foot and run your thumb along the plantar side of the foot from the heel to the toes. The baby will spread his fingers at this moment. On the hands, stroking will be directed from the wrist joint to the fingers;
  • Prevention of clubfoot will consist of circular movements of the child’s feet inward and outward the same number of times. Do not forget to maintain positive emotional contact with your child;
  • take the big ball. Place the baby with his tummy on it. Rock forward and backward, sideways. Even the most capricious baby should enjoy this exercise.

Hypertonicity in a newborn can be corrected with the following gymnastic exercises.

  1. Your baby is lying on his back. The head must be in the center line so that it does not tip back and the neck does not bend. Take the baby's hands in your hands (most often they are pressed to the chest). With careful movements, without causing pain, straighten them to the sides. And let them return to their original position on their own, holding them so that the baby does not hit himself. Repeat several times.
  2. Hypertonicity of the legs goes away when using similar movements: straighten them and allow them to return to their previous position. Don’t forget to turn the baby over on his tummy and help him position his head and limbs correctly.

All doctor's recommendations must be followed without interruption. Massage and gymnastics for children under one year of age are carried out over a long period of time, and individual exercises can be performed several times a day. By following these rules, the child’s tone will gradually return to normal.

The causes of hypertonicity are a group of factors that provoke excess tension in any muscle groups, which persists at the moment of their relaxation. With increased tone, a person’s muscles are dense, constrained, and voluntary movements are difficult and sometimes painful.

Increased muscle tone is one of the main syndromes of neurological diseases and disorders of the nervous system. Brain signals are incorrectly transmitted along nerve fibers, misinterpreted or do not reach their destination, which is the cause of incorrect, slow muscle response. Conventionally, three types of hypertonicity can be distinguished, depending on the group of people in whom it is observed:

  1. Hypertonicity of the uterus in pregnant women;
  2. Hypertonicity in children (infants);
  3. Hypertonicity in adults.

These three types of tone are characterized by different symptoms, have a number of different causes and consequences, and require different types of treatment.

Hypertonicity is not a disease, but only its manifestation, a syndrome. Thus, treatment requires an initially correct diagnosis.

Increased uterine tone in pregnant women

Many pregnant women face the problem of hypertonicity of the uterus, which is a muscular organ. Excessive tension in the uterus of a pregnant woman can be dangerous for the unborn child and cause abortion, especially in the early stages, when the embryo has not yet attached well enough to its walls. The body perceives the embryo as a foreign object and tries to get rid of it, push it out of the uterus through its contractions. Sometimes a woman may not feel any tone at all, but most often its signs are:

  • nagging pain in the lower abdomen or lower back;
  • “petrification” of the abdomen, it becomes hard and changes shape;
  • Uncharacteristic discharge, sometimes bloody.

Since the tone of the uterus can result in a miscarriage, you should consult a doctor at the first signs. Based on the results of the examination, tests, and ultrasound, the doctor determines the cause of this pathological condition and prescribes the necessary treatment.

Causes of uterine hypertension during pregnancy:

  • physical activity;
  • overwork;
  • stress, nervous state of the pregnant woman;
  • diseases of the female reproductive organs such as fibroids, endometriosis, inflammation;
  • infectious disease of a pregnant woman;
  • hormonal disorders, for example, the level of the male hormone is higher than the female one.

When eliminating uterine tone in pregnant women, the doctor needs to find the cause of this phenomenon. Basically, women require inpatient treatment, complete rest, a minimum of movements and physical activity, and emotional balance. A pregnant woman must understand that she is responsible not only for her life, but also for the life of her unborn child, so you should not self-medicate, but seek medical help at the first suspicion.

Hypertonicity in infants

In 90 cases out of 100, children in the first months of life experience increased muscle tone. There are two main causes of this condition in infants:

  • physiological characteristics;
  • disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system.

In the first case, the baby’s muscle tone is explained by the fact that during intrauterine life the child was in a limited, small space of the mother’s uterus and his posture was forcedly constrained, the so-called fetal position. The arms and legs of the fetus are pressed to the body, and the chin to the chest. After birth, this position is the most familiar and safe for the baby, the baby needs to get used to the new world around him, usually by 3 months the muscles gradually relax, and the increased tone goes away on its own, without the need for treatment. However, if hypertonicity persists after 3 months, this may indicate that the baby’s nervous system has been damaged. The main causes of hypertension in children older than 3 months lie in the influence of negative factors during the period of intrauterine development of the fetus, diseases, and birth injuries. It could be:

  • bad habits of the expectant mother: smoking, alcohol, drugs;
  • infectious diseases suffered by the mother during pregnancy, or her chronic diseases;
  • early or late toxicosis of the pregnant woman, uterine tone, threat of miscarriage;
  • Rhesus conflict between mother and fetus;
  • perinatal encephalopathy;
  • rapid or prolonged labor;
  • fetal hypoxia in utero or during childbirth;
  • various birth injuries.

Typically, neurologists prescribe procedures for children with increased muscle tone that can only relieve the main symptoms, but they do not find the causes of the disorders and do not solve the problems. For example:

  • therapeutic exercises;
  • physiotherapy;
  • aromatherapy;
  • therapeutic massage;
  • drug treatment.

The most effective method of treating hypertension in young children is osteopathic. An osteopathic doctor views the human body as a single whole, and sees all its systems and organs as interconnected. Osteopaths can treat one organ while influencing another, identifying the cause of the pathology and combating its consequences. Osteopathic treatment is based on a special massage. The doctor's fingers are extremely sensitive and receptive, and movements and manipulations are very soft and gentle. That is why the effects of osteopathic techniques on infants are safe, painless and effective. An osteopath can easily help a child’s nervous system, which is not fully formed, to function fully.

Increased muscle tone in an adult

In an adult, muscle tone is observed as a consequence of disruption of the nervous system; this is one of the indicators of the presence of neurological diseases. There are 2 types of increased tone: spastic (localized) and rigid (applies to all muscles at the same time). Hypertonicity can be caused by:

  • demyelinating neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis;
  • pathological processes in the vessels of the brain and spinal cord (stroke);
  • various brain or spinal cord injuries;
  • disruption of the functioning of nerve impulses.

With a spastic type of tone, disruptions in the functioning of nerve centers and pathways are observed, and with a rigid type, pathologies of the brain or spinal cord are observed.

Hypertonicity in adults is a sign of a serious neurological disorder resulting from the presence of severe diseases of the nervous system. In this case, it is most rational to use complex therapy. Along with traditional medicine, osteopathy can come to the rescue, which significantly alleviates the patient’s condition. Osteopathic techniques are very gentle, they bring the patient a feeling of relaxation, tranquility, and warmth. With his hands, an osteopathic doctor can improve muscle function, blood flow, and influence bones and joints, while he fights not the clinical manifestations of the disease, but its cause. The osteopath triggers the necessary mechanisms that, like a clockwork, normalize the functioning of the entire body as a whole.