Muscle stiffness treatment. Children's muscle stiffness of the neck. Symptoms and diagnosis

Muscle rigidity is an increase in their tone and stable resistance to deforming forces. It is a consequence pathological disorders functional activity central and peripheral nervous systems. The criterion for assessing muscle tone is important symptom when diagnosing diseases caused by these disorders.

Causes of neck-brachial muscle stiffness

Painful muscle stiffness can be caused by a person’s professional activities. Long-term condition tension associated with limited mobility of the cervicobrachial muscles leads to their spasm. Increased muscle tone caused by poor circulation is manifested by aching sensations in the occipital region and does not require therapy. Regular exercise restores blood circulation and relieves fatigue.

Persistent muscle stiffness in the neck and shoulder area, which is accompanied by severe pain with the slightest movement and other symptoms, can be the result of a number of serious pathologies. Diseases that cause muscle stiffness:

• Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, arthritis. They are characterized by dystrophic disorders in articular cartilage caused by excessive loads, metabolic and postural disorders, injuries and other reasons. Symptoms of osteochondrosis, in addition to stiff neck, are accompanied by pain in the head, upper limbs and shoulders. Severe dizziness can be aggravated by decreased vision and hearing. Referring pain in the chest has symptoms of angina pectoris. For accurate diagnosis examination using magnetic resonance imaging is necessary. Drug treatment involves A complex approach and should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, it is aimed at relieving inflammation and pain in the joints that caused the exacerbation. For neck stiffness, the use of drugs that restore blood circulation and muscle tone is also indicated. Rehabilitation will be accelerated by physiotherapeutic procedures and massage;
• Neck injuries. They can cause stretching and displacement of the cervical vertebrae. As a rule, accompanied frequent pain and dizziness, decreased sensitivity in the hands. The close proximity of the arteries that supply blood to the brain causes great danger when the cervical vertebrae are displaced. Diagnosis is based only on MRI. Treatment of muscle stiffness with anti-inflammatory therapy involves effective methods of relieving muscle tension through massage and acupuncture. For complex injuries it is indicated surgical intervention. The recovery process is facilitated by wearing an orthopedic collar;
• Torticollis. A defect in the cervical spine, causing the head to turn in the opposite direction. Skeletal disorders lead to changes in soft and muscle tissues. The disease is often congenital in nature, it may be a consequence birth trauma or is formed by incorrect intrauterine position of the fetus. The cause of acquired torticollis is dislocation of the cervical vertebrae, incorrect position head, caused by deterioration of hearing and vision, professional activity. Neck muscle stiffness is caused by prolonged forced situation heads. Treatment is determined by the cause of the disease. The congenital form provides surgery. Manual therapy is effective regardless of the cause of torticollis;
• Brain hemorrhage, encephalitis, meningitis. Diseases associated with poor circulation and inflammation of the human brain cause increased muscle tone in the different stages development. Strong headache, heat, increased sensitivity to light, nausea are symptoms of the course of each of these diseases. Increased muscle tone against the background of these symptoms poses a great danger. Rigidity of the neck muscles is manifested by sharp resistance when passively trying to tilt the head to the chest and is one of the early signs of meningitis. To accurately diagnose inflammation, research is necessary cerebrospinal fluid, A CT scan will show a lesion in the affected brain. Therapy is aimed at taking emergency measures to treat the underlying disease;
• Parkinsonism. Neurological syndrome, the cause of which is diseases associated with impaired brain function, as well as toxic poisoning of the body. It is characterized by trembling of the body and rigidity of the muscles of the legs, arms, neck, and face. Treatment involves supportive care.

Muscle stiffness in children

Increased muscle tone is often present in infants; this is natural, and muscle tightness usually goes away during the first months of life. About disruption of the process of formation of peripheral nervous system the child is evidenced by the following factors:

• Inactivity of the baby;
• A tight posture in which the knees are tucked towards the body;
• Impaired reflexes;
• Stiffness of the leg muscles.

If the neurologist does not observe positive dynamics in the child’s muscle tone during examination, then it is necessary emergency treatment, normalizing the nervous system and muscle activity. Absence timely assistance the child leads to delays in the neuropsychic and physical development. He later begins to crawl, stand up and walk, but does not step on his entire foot, but moves on tiptoes. Treatment for muscle stiffness in your baby includes medications, physical therapy, and massage.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Increased tone and stiffness of muscles that impede their mobility are called rigidity. Most cases have the least severe form of this syndrome resulting from excessive or unusual physical activity. Severe muscle fatigue occurs due to the accumulation of lactic acid and other metabolic end products in the tissues.

However, this phenomenon can also arise due to various violations functioning of the nervous system (central and peripheral), extrapyramidal disorders. In particular, it is one of the main signs of parkinsonism. It should be noted that muscle rigidity must be treated to avoid possible paralysis. muscular system of the whole body. To do this, you need to contact a neurologist.

What causes, how does muscle rigidity manifest itself, symptoms, treatment of limbs with this phenomenon, how is it carried out? Let's talk about it:

How does muscle rigidity manifest itself, what symptoms indicate it?

Usually it all starts with mild discomfort, slight stiffness in the muscles of the back and head area. As the syndrome develops, tension becomes stronger and spreads to the muscles of the legs and arms, and painful spasms. Even in a state of passive rest, a feeling of viscous, waxy resistance appears in the limbs.

At stressful situation, strong emotional stress, a state of neurosis, with active movement, an exacerbation of muscle tension is observed. A person tries to make as few movements as possible. Such attacks can last quite a long time - up to several days. Patients complain of sleep disturbances and periodic awakenings during the night's rest.

With stiffness of the neck muscles (cervical radiculitis), patients note the appearance of severe pain in the back of the head. When you move your neck or turn your head, the pain becomes especially severe and becomes pulsating.

As we said at the very beginning, stiffness in the muscles of the limbs is a symptom. In this case, hypertonicity and stiffness are observed in all muscle groups, especially the limbs, namely the so-called flexor muscles.

Patients' gait changes, and a curvature of the spine often appears in the lumbar region - lumbar lordosis. Gradually, a characteristic pose is formed when the head and back are bent forward, the arms are bent at the elbows, pressed tightly to the body. The patient's legs are also slightly bent in the area hip joints, knees.

How to overcome muscle stiffness, what treatment of limbs is effective?

Muscle rigidity is not independent disease. This syndrome always has an underlying cause, which is identified when medical examination patient. Further treatment depends on the diagnosed disease and the severity of the patient’s condition.

In particular, in case of damage, disruption of the central nervous system, poisoning, catalepsy, as well as parkinsonism, necessary treatment these pathologies. Therapy is always individual, depending on direct illness, its gravity, general condition patient, etc.

To alleviate the condition, reduce symptoms, and, in fact, rigidity, the patient is advised to reduce the load on the affected area of ​​the body, it is best to keep it still. If the muscles of the limbs are affected, complete rest is indicated, refusal of any loads until the condition is alleviated, and a ban on carrying heavy objects. However, in order to avoid the appearance of adhesions, the affected muscle of the limb should be delicately worked out and massaged.

Mild forms of limb rigidity that occur due to physical overload are successfully treated with physiotherapy - professional massage, warming up, certain exercises aimed at the affected muscle. Usually, after a course of procedures, muscle stiffness disappears.

With more severe forms ah syndrome is carried out additional treatment using short-wave diathermy, hydrotherapy, hot wraps, and wax baths.

At severe pain injections of an anesthetic drug are prescribed. In the case of the inflammatory etiology of the syndrome, anti-inflammatory drugs that do not contain steroids, muscle relaxants, etc. are used. The patient is recommended to take.

Antiepileptic drugs are prescribed according to indications. Therapeutic measures include plasmapheresis procedures, manual therapy, reflexology. Use the necessary ointments and gels locally.

Folk remedies for muscle stiffness

To complement the main treatment for muscle stiffness, herbal medicine can be used on the advice of your doctor. Here are the recipes folk remedies that will help eliminate muscle spasm, relieve pain:

To eliminate spasms and relieve pain, prepare oil from bay leaves. To do this, chop them (you will need 3 tablespoons in total) and place them in a half-liter jar. Add a glass of slightly warmed sunflower oil. Close the lid, put it on the shelf of the kitchen cabinet, where you leave it for 10 days. Rub this remedy into the affected area daily, gently massaging. Treatment for at least 2 weeks.

Muscle myalgia will disappear if ointment from is rubbed into the affected area for at least two weeks. To make this healing ointment you need crushed dry leaf (3 tbsp), pour 200 ml of oil and let it brew for ten days.

At muscle pain use . Pour 1 tsp into the bowl. dried flowers, add 2 tsp. leaves. Stir, pour a full glass of boiling water. Close the lid and insulate well with a thick towel. Leave until it cools completely on its own.
Take, after straining, a sip 5-6 times a day.

If you or your family have symptoms of increased muscle tone, rigidity, which we continue to talk about on this page www.. It is necessary to undergo an examination to identify the cause of this syndrome. If it is caused by excessive or unusual physical activity, the doctor will recommend a course of massage and special physical exercise. If the cause is more serious, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease. Be healthy!

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To the main manifestations of the syndrome rigid person include: increasing muscle tension(rigidity) and muscle spasms. The process begins with the muscles of the trunk, after a few months it spreads to the muscles proximal parts limbs. The disease is based on increased excitability of alpha motor neurons in the anterior horns spinal cord, however, this condition has not yet been established.

Treatment of muscle stiffness in stiff person syndrome is symptomatic. The patient is prescribed GABAergic drugs: benzodiazepines (Clonazepam, Diazepam) and Baclofen, which affect neuromuscular transmission. The drugs block the increased activity of spinal motor neurons and reduce the severity of reflex, spontaneous muscle spasms and rigidity.

How to take medications to treat rigid person syndrome

The most commonly used is Diazepam (Sibazon, Relanium). It enhances GABAergic transmission and simultaneously inhibits noradrenergic transmission. The drug is started with a minimum dose (2.5 mg), it is taken 1-2 times a day. Then the daily amount is gradually increased until the desired effect is achieved, taking the medicine 3-4 times. The range of therapeutic doses depends on the individual sensitivity of the patient and can vary from 10 to 200 mg per day.

Instead of Diazepam, you can use Clonazepam in an amount of 2-10 mg/day. If benzodiazepines are ineffective, Baclofen (GABA type B receptor agonist) is prescribed. It is taken together with one of the benzodiazepines or used as monotherapy. The daily dose of the drug is increased gradually. Maximum amount is 100-120 mg per day (in 3 divided doses).

At simultaneous administration Baclofen and benzodiazepine healing effect achieved with a lower dose than with monotherapy. This reduces the risk of side effects. It is necessary to avoid abrupt withdrawal of drugs, as this is fraught with deterioration of the condition and the development of pronounced vegetative changes.

If these drugs are intolerant or ineffective, medications are prescribed valproic acid: "Depakine" in daily dose 600-2000 mg, Tiagabine in a dose of 4-12 mg per day or Vigabatrin in a daily amount of 1500 mg. These medications also increase GABAergic transmission. The use of antiadrenergic drugs (Clonidine, Tizanidine) gives a less permanent therapeutic effect. IN severe cases Botulinum toxin A is injected into the paraspinal muscles.

Muscle stiffness – painful condition, characterized by increased muscle tone and stable resistance during passive movements, with impossibility complete relaxation. This stiffness and tension in the muscles is in most cases caused by disorders of the nervous system. Assessing the state of muscle tone is of no small importance for determining the diseases that provoked this pathology.

Causes of stiff neck and neck muscles

Muscle rigidity can be caused not only by damage to the nervous system, but also by characteristics professional activity. To such negative factors These include monotonous loads that require constant maintenance of a given position - long periods of time in front of a computer, behind the wheel, etc. A prolonged state of tension and limited mobility lead to spasms in the muscles of the neck and shoulders, aching pain in the back of the head. To restore impaired blood circulation, which initiates increased muscle tone, in these cases it is enough to perform physical exercises that help relieve tension. Persistent rigidity of the muscles of the back of the head and neck indicates the development of serious ailments.

Conditions that cause stiff neck and neck muscles

Diseases that lead to rigidity include:

• Lesions of the peripheral nervous system - cervical radiculitis (inflammation nerve root). Manifested by muscle spasms and painful sensations in the occipital region, intensifying when turning the head;
• Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The disease occurs due to defects in the intervertebral discs and causes disruption of the innervation of the neck muscles. Accompanied by periodic headaches, stiff neck, pain in the upper limbs and shoulders, responding in the area chest. With osteochondrosis, you can also experience severe dizziness, vision and hearing impairment;
• Torticollis. Rigidity of the neck muscles in this case is most often caused by a congenital form of the pathology - a unilateral lesion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, manifested in turning the head to one side. With dislocations of the cervical vertebrae or abnormal position of the head, which is a consequence of hearing and vision defects, acquired torticollis may occur, which in turn leads to muscle spasms;
• Meningitis, encephalitis, cerebral hemorrhage. The circulatory disorders and inflammatory processes of the brain inherent in these diseases, on various stages their development, lead to persistent muscle tension. As well as increased tone of the muscles of the back of the head, accompanying symptoms of these diseases can be dizziness, lethargy, nausea, refusal to eat, high body temperature, rash on the skin. Neck stiffness is an early sign of the development of meningitis and is manifested in the inability to touch the chin to the chest when trying to tilt the head;
• Parkinsonism. TO characteristic feature neurological syndrome includes rigidity of the muscles of the legs, arms, face, neck, trembling of the whole body, changes in a person’s movements and speech. The defeat occurs due to toxic poisoning or brain dysfunction.

In addition, muscle tension can appear due to sprains or injuries to the neck muscles.

Manifestations of muscle rigidity in children

An increase in muscle tone is often observed in newborns. This is due to the immature peripheral nervous system; usually, after the first few months of life, muscle rigidity in children disappears. In cases of muscle activity disorders in children, the following is observed:

• Tension and tightness that does not go away even during sleep;
• Impaired reflexes;
• Bent legs, tucked towards the body;
• Constantly clenched fists and crossed arms;
• Stiffness of the leg muscles.

Also, violations are evidenced by the baby’s ability to independently hold his head well immediately after birth (normally this occurs after 6-8 weeks), which is a sign of hypertonicity of the occipital muscles. If, upon examination by a doctor, no positive changes are noted, to improve the functions of the nervous system, it is necessary to prescribe therapy to ensure further normal physical and neurological development of the child.

To treat muscle stiffness, children are usually prescribed a course of therapeutic massage, physiotherapeutic procedures, and, if necessary, medications.

Treatment of muscle stiffness

When treating rigidity, doctors prescribe individual courses therapies aimed at combating the underlying disease that provoked increased muscle tone. For osteochondrosis it is indicated drug treatment to relieve pain and inflammation in the joints that cause exacerbation. To relax the muscles of the back of the head, massage and physiotherapy are also prescribed while taking medications that improve blood circulation.

When treating muscle rigidity, which is a symptom of torticollis, surgical intervention is possible (if congenital form), Very good effect manual therapy provides. For parkinsonism, supportive treatment is carried out. Manifestations of tension in the muscles of the back of the head, indicating encephalitis, stroke or meningitis, require urgent attention. medical care with holding intensive care for the treatment of these pathologies. For meningitis, a course of antibiotics is prescribed, emergency measures in the treatment of stroke include thrombolytic therapy, diuretics, cardiac glycosides, antihypertensive drugs.

To prevent muscle stiffness, it is necessary to begin treatment of the underlying disease at early stages, avoiding complications, and try not to overstrain the muscles in the process labor activity and playing sports.

Muscles are the most important part of the human body. They perform protective function for bones and joints, and also allow a person to move actively. Any pathology of muscle tissue is torment for a person, because he cannot move normally and constantly feels pain.

Muscle rigidity is their overstrain and increased tone. If healthy muscles constantly contract and relax, then with hypertonicity muscle becomes hard and painful. This condition requires the attention of a doctor, as it indicates the presence of disturbances in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.

Rigidity

Rigidity is a condition in which hypertonicity of the muscles occurs; they become inelastic and rigid. This condition occurs when there are disturbances in the functioning of the central and peripheral nervous system, and is accompanied by a violation motor activity, excruciating pain.

Pathology can occur at any age, but in infants, increased muscle tone up to 3-6 months is considered normal, and usually does not require special treatment. This is due to the developmental characteristics of the child. If increased muscle tone is observed in an adult, then most likely this indicates the presence of a problem that requires treatment.

Causes

Muscle stiffness usually occurs due to wrong image life. The point is that when a person for a long time sits in one position, or performs monotonous work, the blood circulation in the tissues is disrupted, they are destroyed. The muscles react to this condition with increased tone, trying to protect the body.

In this case, it is enough just to start moving to normalize tissue nutrition, then the symptom goes away on its own and no longer bothers you. If the disease torments the patient for a long time, relapses constantly occur, then you should definitely consult a doctor; serious violations requiring treatment.

There are several main reasons why muscle stiffness occurs in adults:

• Osteochondrosis. This disease occurs when degenerative disorders occur in the spine, it suffers from stress, poor posture, and eating disorders. Often with osteochondrosis, muscle spasms occur, which are localized in the affected area. That is, if violated cervical region, then rigidity will arise precisely in it; if it is the chest, then the shoulder blade will hurt.
• Injuries. At various injuries The vertebrae may become displaced, the nerves may suffer, and circulatory problems and rigidity may occur.
• Polyneuropathy. This pathology affects the nerves and requires timely and competent treatment.
• Stroke. In this case, a disruption of brain function occurs, due to impaired blood circulation, paralysis can occur in any part of the body and throughout the body, including the legs.
• Cerebral palsy. For children cerebral palsy There is a disturbance in muscle contraction.
• Meningitis, encephalitis. With such infectious diseases the brain suffers and the functioning of the whole body is disrupted.
• Parkinson's disease.

It is worth noting that muscle spasm does not always indicate a serious pathology; only a doctor can accurately determine rigidity, so you should not self-medicate. It can be pointless and dangerous.

Symptoms

If symptoms similar to muscle stiffness occur lower limbs, you must immediately contact a therapist and neurologist; these specialists will conduct an examination and prescribe tests that must be taken to discover the cause of the disease. Rigidity is accompanied by characteristic symptoms:

• Muscle spasms occur, they become stiff and painful to the touch.
• Motor activity is impaired, the muscle does not relax, so the patient cannot move the affected limb normally.
• If the leg is affected, the patient begins to limp because he cannot bend and straighten the limb normally.
• The patient is bothered by pain, which persists during the period of rest and intensifies during movement.
• The general condition is disturbed, the person is upset all the time, eats little, sleeps poorly.

In especially severe cases, the pain can be simply unbearable. With rigidity, the muscles become very stiff, it is simply impossible to touch the sore spot, even a massage causes terrible agony. In this case, drug treatment cannot be avoided.

Treatment

Treatment increased tone The muscles of the lower extremities are dealt with by a neurologist, but first the patient needs to see a therapist, who, if necessary, refers to a specialist. The disease is diagnosed based on examination and after passing the necessary tests.

First, the doctor interviews the patient, you need to answer when the pain began, what other symptoms are bothering you, and whether they are related to anything. Often, a detailed history helps make a diagnosis even before testing. To confirm, the patient may be sent for x-rays, MRI, ultrasound, and will also need to take blood and urine tests.

Traditional

How leg muscle stiffness is treated depends on the cause of its occurrence. The patient is prescribed complex therapy, which allows you to eliminate both the cause of the condition and the painful spasm itself that is bothering the person at the moment.

You can't limit yourself to just symptomatic treatment, this will lead to a worsening of the condition. It is always worth remembering that if the pain has gone away for a while, this does not mean that the body has stopped deteriorating. For example, with osteochondrosis, the spasm may go away for a while, but the spine will remain untreated, and the pain will reappear soon.

The patient is prescribed medications to relieve inflammation, pain and muscle spasm, if necessary. Muscle relaxants should be selected by a doctor, taking into account the patient’s condition; such drugs have serious side effects, they should not be taken uncontrolled.

Physiotherapy procedures are also prescribed that improve blood circulation in tissues, relieve inflammation and pain, help eliminate muscle hypertonicity, and normalize their function.

Therapeutic exercises and massage are prescribed after removal pain syndrome in case of rigidity, they help develop muscles, strengthen them and prevent further destruction of the spine, as well as improve blood circulation in the tissues and eliminate stagnant processes in them.

Depending on the cause of rigidity and the patient’s condition, he is referred for consultation to other specialists, for example, a psychotherapist, ophthalmologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist. Since muscle stiffness is often associated with other serious pathologies.

During the period of remission, patients are prescribed Spa treatment, it has a positive effect on the functioning of the whole organism and general psychological state patient.

Surgical treatment is prescribed in very severe cases, and this is rare, as the risk of complications is high. Most often, the indication for surgery is muscle contracture, that is, restriction of motor activity of the joint due to muscle spasm.

Folk

Folk remedies can also help relieve stiffness, but it is recommended to use them only after consulting a doctor. You need to make sure that in a particular case the use of the recipe is not contraindicated, and also make sure that there is no allergy to the components of the product.

Helps relieve pain bay oil. A bunch of bay leaves should be crushed in a coffee grinder, pour warm vegetable oil, and leave for a week in a dark place. Ready product strain, massage it into problem areas before bedtime.

Herbal infusions also performed well. Lotions and medicinal baths with sage, chamomile and various relaxing mixtures relieve pain and inflammatory process in the muscles.

A compress with cabbage leaf And natural honey. They do it at night; to do this, the leaf is crushed until it yields juice, smeared with honey and applied to the sore spot. The compress should be secured on top with a bandage or cloth.

Prevention

To prevent muscle hypertonicity, it is necessary to healthy image life, eat right and exercise to prevent the occurrence of stagnant processes in the tissues of the whole body. It is also recommended to undergo regular medical examinations, and promptly treat all emerging diseases.

Patients with chronic pathologies may reduce the risk of relapse if they undergo regular preventive examinations, do massage and gymnastics, take medications prescribed by your doctor. Proper care of your body and a healthy lifestyle will help make your life fulfilling.

Increased tone and stiffness of muscles that impede their mobility are called rigidity. In most cases, the least serious form of this syndrome occurs, resulting from excessive or unusual physical activity. Severe muscle fatigue occurs due to the accumulation of lactic acid and other metabolic end products in the tissues.

However, this phenomenon can also occur as a result of various disorders of the nervous system (central and peripheral), and extrapyramidal disorders. In particular, it is one of the main signs of parkinsonism. It should be noted that muscle rigidity must be treated to avoid possible paralysis of the muscular system of the entire body. To do this, you need to contact a neurologist.

What causes, how does muscle rigidity manifest itself, symptoms, treatment of the limbs for this phenomenon, how is it carried out? Let's talk about it:

How does muscle rigidity manifest itself, what symptoms indicate it?

Usually it all starts with mild discomfort, slight stiffness in the muscles of the back and head area. As the syndrome develops, tension becomes stronger and spreads to the muscles of the legs and arms, and painful spasms appear. Even in a state of passive rest, a feeling of viscous, waxy resistance appears in the limbs.

In a stressful situation, strong emotional stress, a state of neurosis, or active movement, an exacerbation of muscle tension is observed. A person tries to make as few movements as possible. Such attacks can last quite a long time - up to several days. Patients complain of sleep disturbances and periodic awakenings during the night's rest.

With stiffness of the neck muscles (cervical radiculitis), patients note the appearance of severe pain in the back of the head. When you move your neck or turn your head, the pain becomes especially severe and becomes pulsating.

As we said at the very beginning, stiff limb muscles are a symptom of Parkinson's disease. In this case, hypertonicity and stiffness are observed in all muscle groups, especially the limbs, namely the so-called flexor muscles.

Patients' gait changes, and a curvature of the spine in the lumbar region often appears - lumbar lordosis. Gradually, a characteristic pose is formed when the head and back are bent forward, the arms are bent at the elbows, pressed tightly to the body. The patient's legs are also slightly bent at the hip joints and knees.

How to overcome muscle stiffness, what treatment of limbs is effective?

Muscle rigidity is not an independent disease. This syndrome always has an underlying cause, which is identified during a medical examination of the patient. Further treatment depends on the diagnosed disease and the severity of the patient’s condition.

In particular, in case of damage, disruption of the central nervous system, poisoning, catalepsy, as well as parkinsonism, the necessary treatment of these pathologies is carried out. Therapy is always individual, depending on the immediate disease, its severity, the general condition of the patient, etc.

To alleviate the condition, reduce symptoms, and, in fact, rigidity, the patient is advised to reduce the load on the affected area of ​​the body, it is best to keep it still. If the muscles of the limbs are affected, complete rest is indicated, refusal of any loads until the condition is alleviated, and a ban on carrying heavy objects. However, in order to avoid the appearance of adhesions, the affected muscle of the limb should be delicately worked out and massaged.

Mild forms of limb rigidity, which occur against the background of physical overload, are successfully treated with physiotherapy - professional massage, warming, and certain exercises aimed at the affected muscle. Usually, after a course of procedures, muscle stiffness disappears.

In more severe forms of the syndrome, additional treatment is carried out using short-wave diathermy, hydrotherapy, hot wraps, and wax baths.

For severe pain, injections of an anesthetic drug are prescribed. In the case of the inflammatory etiology of the syndrome, anti-inflammatory drugs that do not contain steroids, muscle relaxants, etc. are used. The patient is recommended to take B vitamins.

Antiepileptic drugs are prescribed according to indications. Therapeutic measures include plasmapheresis, manual therapy, and reflexology procedures. Use the necessary ointments and gels locally.

Folk remedies for muscle stiffness

To complement the main treatment for muscle stiffness, herbal medicine can be used on the advice of your doctor. Here are recipes for folk remedies that will help eliminate muscle spasms and relieve pain:

— To eliminate spasms and relieve pain, prepare oil from bay leaves. To do this, chop them (you will need 3 tablespoons in total) and place them in a half-liter jar. Add a glass of slightly warmed sunflower oil. Close the lid, put it on the shelf of the kitchen cabinet, where you leave it for 10 days. Rub this remedy into the affected area daily, gently massaging. Treatment for at least 2 weeks.

Muscle myalgia will disappear if ointment is rubbed into the affected area for at least two weeks. bay leaf. To make this healing ointment, you need crushed dry leaves (3 tablespoons), pour 200 ml of oil and let it brew for ten days.

For muscle pain, use borage. Pour 1 tsp into the bowl. dried flowers, add 2 tsp. leaves. Stir, pour a full glass of boiling water. Close the lid and insulate well with a thick towel. Leave until it cools completely on its own.
Take, after straining, a sip 5-6 times a day.

If you or your family have symptoms of increased muscle tone, rigidity, which we continue to talk about on this page www.rasteniya-lecarstvennie.ru, do not delay visiting a doctor. It is necessary to undergo an examination to identify the cause of this syndrome. If it is caused by excessive or unusual physical activity, the doctor will recommend a course of massage and special physical exercises. If the cause is more serious, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease. Be healthy!

Svetlana, www.rasteniya-lecarstvennie.ru
Google

What is muscle stiffness

During passive movements in the patient's limbs, the examiner feels an unchanging, viscous, waxy resistance. The patient himself primarily complains of stiffness. At akinetic-rigid syndrome V initial stage During its development, muscle rigidity in Parkinson's disease is usually asymmetrical and can manifest itself in any one part of the body, but later, as the disease progresses, it becomes more widespread and generalized over time.

The patient's posture changes: the head and torso are tilted forward, while the chin often almost touches the chest, the arms are pressed to the body, bent at the elbows and wrist joints, fingers are bent at the metacarpophalangeal joints and extended at the interphalangeal joints, while thumb is in a state of opposition to the others. An increase in tone in the neck muscles leads to the fact that already early stage When called by a disease, patients tend to turn their whole body or turn their gaze as much as possible, leaving their head motionless.

The main differences between rigidity and spasticity are:

Symptoms of Muscle Stiffness

In humans, with damage and disruption of the central nervous system and pathological irritation peripheral nerves may be observed various manifestations muscle stiffness. Thus, in case of poisoning with certain poisons, diseases of the nervous system, as well as under the influence of hypnosis, a state of plastic tone occurs, characterized by the fact that the muscles become waxy; In this case, it is easy to give the limbs any position that they hold for a long time without changing. The appearance of plastic muscle tone is characteristic of a special condition of the nervous system, called catalepsy, or waxy rigidity.

With parkinsonism, the severity of hypokinesia and muscle rigidity may depend to a certain extent on the general condition of the patient. At rest, hypokinesia and muscle rigidity are more pronounced; with slow passive movements, some weakening of rigidity is sometimes observed. Hypokinesia and rigidity are significantly affected by mental condition patient, especially negative emotions, which sometimes sharply increase muscle tone. However, in the morning, after sleep, the severity of both components of akinetic-rigid syndrome can significantly decrease.

This also sometimes manifests itself in some extreme situations (short-term manifestations of paradoxical kinesia). A slight decrease in the severity of muscle rigidity is also noted during the patient’s stay in a warm bath or when therapeutic massage. All this allows us to judge that the functional defect in akinesia and rigidity is variable within certain limits; in some cases it can fluctuate in severity: from a state of general immobility to episodes of almost full recovery functional capabilities of the motor sphere.

Treatment of muscle stiffness

The underlying disease causing muscle stiffness is being treated.

Stiffness (muscle numbness) may be a symptom

Stiff neck

A stiff neck is pathological condition, which occurs as a result of excessively frequent sending of impulses from the brain, due to which the tone of the muscles increases, passing into a state of stiffness (rigidity). Stiff neck muscles indicate the presence of meningitis or other central nervous system lesions.

Causes of a stiff neck

The main cause of a stiff neck is meningococcal infection, which occurs various types. Purulent meningitis is a group of diseases of the central nervous system, characterized by the occurrence of general infectious, cerebral, meningeal syndromes and changes in the cerebral fluid with the presence of pus in the latter. Less commonly, staphylococci, Escherichia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Listeria and other bacteria are involved in the development of the disease.

The cause of meningococcal meningitis is gram-negative meningococcus. Any infected person plays the role of a source of infection, and it is transmitted by airborne droplets. At the initial stage, there is an increase in temperature, chills, sharp severe symptoms intoxication (lethargy, adynamia, refusal to eat and drink, headaches). Vomiting appears not related to food intake.

Pneumococcal meningitis is caused by Streptococcus pneumonie. The source of infection is patients with pneumococcal infection, as well as carriers of pneumococcus. The disease is characterized by an acute onset: most often in the first hour there is a sharp increase in temperature to 39-40 ° C and rapidly increasing signs of intoxication. Then symptoms appear that resemble meningococcal infection. On the second or third day they appear meningeal symptoms in a distinct form, in particular, stiffness of the neck muscles is noted. When carrying out timely and adequate treatment, the patient’s condition improves significantly after the first week.

Other causes of a stiff neck:

• Summer-autumn mosquito encephalitis (Japanese encephalitis).
• Cervical myelopathy (spinal compression).
• Cervical spondylosis.

A stiff neck is a symptom of one of these severe forms when it occurs unexpectedly, due to accompanying symptoms such as nausea or vomiting, fever, headache, drowsiness, confusion, depression or seizure. Pain appears with reverse side neck in the middle part and is caused by bending forward or backward.

Treatment of a stiff neck

Treatment for a stiff neck is aimed at addressing the underlying cause. Of the etiotropic and pathogenetic measures, intensive penicillin therapy is effective. In addition to this effective methods include semisynthetic penicillins (oxacillin, ampicillin). The body is detoxified, treated with vitamins and oxygen. When symptoms of brain swelling and edema appear, dehydration therapy is carried out, which helps remove excess fluid from the body. In this case, the use of corticosteroid drugs is practiced. For seizures, phenobarbital is prescribed.

Questions and answers on the topic “Muscle stiffness”

Question:My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 4 years ago; he has not typical parkinsonism, increased rigidity, mainly on the right side, but this year my husband has been complaining of weakness and stiffness on the left side. I know that the gamma knife is mainly used in the presence of tremors, we have tremor but it is very mild, it is mainly about the stiffness of the body. Will the gamma knife help him?

Answer: Hello. Indication for Gamma Knife treatment in Parkinson's disease is the presence of severe tremor that interferes with daily activities, poorly docked medicines. The Gamma Knife is not used to treat rigidity.

Question:Hello! I'm 34 weeks pregnant. When examined by a gynecologist, they said that I have a rigid cervix, it is small and my vagina is narrow. What problems may arise due to this during childbirth? Thanks in advance for your answer.

Answer: Towards the end of pregnancy tissue birth canal change significantly, they become more loose, soft, and highly extensible. Therefore, in your situation it is too early to assess the condition of the birth canal. In addition, the size of the pelvis and fetus matters.