[toc]Hypotonia or the lack of muscle tone results from an underlying condition which could be congenital or acquired in nature. The complications and management for hypotonia remains the same no matter what the cause is. Decrease in muscle tone is often accompanied with muscular weakness so diagnosis happens at a very early age if it is congenital. In acquired cases, the nature of lesion will determine the region affected as well.
You can then attempt to work only on the affected muscles or joints. If you begin treatment early, there are chances of a good prognosis of the condition. The more time you wait, the more progression of the condition will occur and sometimes it proves to be irreversible. Here are some ways to treat hypotonia:
5 Best Treatments For Hypotonia
Physiotherapy
Regular physiotherapy sessions are essential for the maintenance of the muscles. If the muscles aren’t used, there will be a reduction in the strength and lead to atrophy or decrease in muscle mass. Physiotherapy improves weight bearing, posture and coordination of body movements in hypotonic patients. Physiotherapy is the main line of treatment for hypotonia but if that fails, there are other methods to deal with it.
Assisted Breathing Exercises
People affected with congenital hypotonia of all muscles of the body have breathing diificulties because their breathing muscles aren’t fully functional in nature. Assisted exercises for breathing are given so that they can breathe comfortably and such that asthmatic episodes are avoided.
Some people have intense breathing muscle weakness that they might even need artificial machines to assist them during breathing. But mostly, people face breathing difficulty in certain positions so proper techniques are given.
Orthopaedic Check-Up
Hypotonic patients are prone to dislocations and deformities. A regular check-up is conducted so that all these aspects including joint strength is tested and mended in some cases. Some people might also need assisting braces or prosthesis to help them carry out daily activities. The last line of treatment may be surgical procedures to correct contractures and joint dislocations.
Medications
If there is an underlying pathologic condition, that might need medication to treat it. Myasthenia gravis is a pathologic condition that causes hypotonia in people and physostigmine is needed to correct it. Muscle weakness and hypotonia will be corrected as soon as you start taking the medications and the condition will be maintained at that level and not deteriorate at all.
Occupational And Speech Therapy
In some cases, the tongue muscle will not be able to function properly so techniques are provided so that their language is at least understandable to other people around them. Children who are affected with speech disorders are given speech therapy to improve their speaking skills. Even though hypotonis is present, doctors will recommend carrying out all the daily activities to keep the muscles active.
Occupational therapists will provide assistance so that the patient can successfully continue with their job and other regular routine.Hypotonia isn’t an alarming disorder but if the condition worsens, it might become severely dangerous. If the breathing muscles get affected there are chances the patient might die due to respiratory failure so immediate treatment is needed.
