Why do some hemiplegic patients have increased muscle tone
In a simple and common way, it is because the upper motor neurons are damaged, resulting in control signals (maintenance of balance, regulation, control, etc.) can not be conveyed to the lower motor neurons, but the lower motor neurons continue to transmit signals such as muscle contraction, which is the main cause of increased muscle tone.
To use an analogy, in a war, the commanding officer (the upper motor neuron) is destroyed by the enemy, but our soldiers (the lower motor neuron, which controls muscle contraction) are not killed, and then the soldiers start to fight indiscriminately (the dystonia abnormality occurs).
How to deal with high muscle tension in hemiplegic patients
Placement of good limb position
Online you can find diagrams
2. Hemiplegic medical devices
Mobility aids
Many of our patients have or are in the stage of high tension, which is a normal stage after flaccid paralysis, and can reduce the tension through reasonable rehabilitation. This is a very normal stage after flaccid paralysis, as long as through reasonable rehabilitation training, the tension can be lowered, which is also a necessary path to independent movement. Most of the patients with high tension are due to their wrong abnormal gait or large amount of incorrect movement, which leads to the continuous increase of muscle tension, and then through the muscles and nerves to drive the joints to move, increase the mobility of the joints and at the same time reduce the tension
3.Botulinum toxin
Botulinum toxin blocks nerve conduction between the muscles and the dosage is large, which can lead to toxicity, so it needs to be professionally controlled by a doctor to control the dosage and the site of the injection. The Botox is not a good way to prevent the infection from occurring.
Botulinum toxin has a limited duration of action, the local effect is about 3-6 months, the muscle tone will be restored.
Because there are individual differences, the tolerance of people to drugs is not the same, so it may cause muscle paralysis and other symptoms.