Disorders of posture, gait and muscle tension; involuntary movements and tremors

Proven content

Multiple muscles work together to perform complex movements, such as writing or walking. In order for this movement to be fast and smooth, nerve impulses directed at the muscles involved in the movement must arrive at them in the right order and intensity.

In order for such a movement pattern to be programmed, it is important to cooperate with the so-called motor centers of the cerebral cortex. subcortical nuclei. These are clusters of nerve cells located deep under the cortex of the brain in both hemispheres. Damage to these testes leads to the formation of disorders in the field of complex movements, preventing the proper performance of activities, despite the lack of paresis, i.e. weakening of muscle strength.

How are complex movement disorders manifested?

In patients with complex motor disorders, the following appears:

1. slowing down of movements and their general impoverishment,
2. trembling of the limbs both during movement and when resting,
3. reduced or increased muscle tension,
4. walking problems, e.g. shuffling your feet, taking small steps,
5. problems with correct posture, e.g. leaning forward.

The listed symptoms may appear separately and may combine into syndromes such as muscle tightness, tremors and slowing in Parkinson’s disease.

Tremor (of hands) – characteristics

Hand tremors are a condition that affects both old and young people. In the latter, it usually occurs as a result of emotional disturbances, e.g. during severe anxiety before an important exam or conversation. Tremor is usually physiological in nature and is rarely associated with endocrine disorders or metabolic disorders (hyperthyroidism, liver damage, etc.).

Causes of hand tremors

The most common cause of trembling hands at virtually any age is drinking too much alcohol. In addition, it may be affected by:

1. nervous system disease – tremor is the main symptom of Parkinson’s disease (occurs when you are resting),
2. cerebellar disease – tremor usually occurs together with other symptoms, e.g. impaired coordination of movements,
3. essential and senile tremors.

Essential tremor

Essential tremor usually occurs before the age of twenty and develops very slowly with age until it reaches a stable level. It usually first appears in the upper limbs and often affects the head and jaw, which can affect the way people speak.

Elsewhere in the body, essential tremor occurs much less frequently. It can occur when some kind of movement is being made (this is kinetic tremor) or keeping the limb in one position for a long time (then there is a positional tremor). It can sometimes surprise you when you are resting (resting tremor). Essential tremor may vary in magnitude and slightly greater frequency than in Parkinson’s disease. Usually, it is not accompanied by any other symptoms of damage to the central nervous system.

The causes of essential tremor

The etiology of essential tremor has not been fully elucidated. It is generally believed to be genetically determined. In treating essential tremor, unlike in Parkinson’s disease, medication (levodopa and anticholinergics) is ineffective. The most commonly used medication for relieving this type of disorder is propranolol. Although alcohol reduces the severity of this tremor, it is not recommended as a treatment.

Senile tremors

The symptoms of senile tremor are similar to those of essential tremor. They appear only in old age and are not predisposed to family occurrence. More often than in essential tremor, there is a head tremor like nodding or denying something.

Cramp-like torticollis.

This is one of the most common forms of dystonia. Dystonia is the involuntary excessive muscle tension and slow, uncontrolled movements that result in impaired body and limb alignment.

Dystonia may be general in nature, then it begins in childhood and leads to immobilization. However, more often, dystonia only begins in adults and is restricted to certain muscle groups. The most common dystonias, in addition to spasmodic torticollis, are:

1. eyelid cramps
2. hand cramp
3. half of the face cramps.

The intense tension and uncontrolled movements in the spasmodic torticollis are limited to the neck and neck muscles. This causes the patient to bend and twist their head to the side, back or front. Prolonged muscle tension causes pain in the patient which is persistent enough to come to the fore. Then they have problems with performing many activities, e.g. driving a car, and over time the occupied muscles overgrow and then become permanent contracture.

If you want to reduce pain and muscle tension, use the monastery liniment on the skin around the Musculus Klimuszko muscles, which you can buy at a promotional price at Medonet Market. We also recommend Comfrey Ointment for tense muscles or Spruce Ointment for muscles, joints and bites, which have a natural composition and are based on monastery recipes.

Treatment of spasmodic torticollis

Spasmodic torticollis is very resistant to treatment. The use of anticholinergic drugs has a transient effect of treatment. Currently, the treatment involves injecting the affected muscles with botulinum toxin, which leads to temporary muscle paralysis, which in the end results in proper head positioning and pain relief. The final method is surgery, which consists in cutting the muscle attachments or nerve roots in which there are motor nerve fibers directed towards the affected muscles.

Choreal movements – are also classified as involuntary movements. They appear very often in Huntington’s Chorea. This disease is genetically determined and only on the basis of genetic tests it can be determined in which family member of the sick person may develop.

The first symptoms of the disease attack between the ages of 20 and 45 in the form of spontaneous movements, initially appearing in the face area, successively in the upper limbs, and finally in the lower limbs. Chore’s movements are irregular, very chaotic and merge with other movements, in addition, they intensify significantly during strong emotions. The patient has difficulty speaking correctly, and his awkward gait turns into a complete loss of walking skills over time.

An important symptom the disease is progressive dementia, and some patients may develop psychiatric disorders, e.g. hallucinations, depression.

There is no information on causal treatment. Only symptomatic treatment is used to reduce the severity of uncontrolled movements. In addition, genetic counseling is of great importance. It is also worth paying attention to your body posture when walking and sitting. Prolonged sitting in an incorrect position can lead to posture disorders. Curble offers a corrective seat that will keep the correct base while sitting. Curble seats can be purchased on Medonet Market – click and see the offer. For exercises, we also recommend the Dynapad sensorimotor pillow, which supports the correction of posture defects and strengthens the muscles of the spine.