Hypertonia means your muscles have increased tension with a decrease in their ability to stretch. This abnormal muscle tension is caused by problem with the information pathways in your central nervous system that control posture, muscle tone and reflexes. Because of this health problem you may also experience rapid muscle contractions, muscle spasms and fixed joints.
Hypertonia may be caused by or associated with:
- injury
- stroke
- dystonia
- spasticity
- parkinsonism
- cerebral palsy
- phenylketonuria
- spinal cord injury
- multiple sclerosis
- severe head injury
- brain damage caused by lack of oxygen
When hypertonia is left untreated then functional loss and deformity can result.
There are drugs available to reduce your muscle tension, such as baclofen, diazepam, dantrolene and clonazepam. Botox injections are a recent form of treatment for chronic hypertonia. Physical therapy is helpful to keep your muscles stretched. And surgical release of tendons or connection blocking between nerve and muscle may be a necessary hypertonia treatment in severe cases.