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Muscle tonus, or muscle tone, is the tension in a muscle at rest. It is important as it helps the body maintain its posture and balance, and enables us to respond to stretches or changes in direction. Disorders of muscle tone can arise from dysfunction in neural circuits in the brain, spinal cord, and muscle spindle, and manifest as hypertonia or hypotonia. Muscle tone is also important in certain surgeries, such as eye surgery, and can impact athletic performance and flexibility.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Muscle tonus is the tension in a muscle at rest. |
| Muscle Response | Muscle tonus is the muscle's response to an outside force, such as a stretch or change in direction. |
| Muscle Strength | Muscle strength is the muscle's ability to contract and create force in response to resistance. |
| Muscle Tone and Strength | Muscles with high tone are not necessarily strong, and muscles with low tone are not necessarily weak. |
| Preparedness to Move | Muscle tone reflects a state of preparedness to move. |
| Posture | Muscle tonus helps in maintaining body posture. |
| Disorders | Disorders of muscle tone can arise from dysfunction in neural circuits in the brain, spinal cord, and muscle spindle. |
| Types of Disorders | Spasticity and rigidity are two types of hypertonia. Dystonia and paratonia are two other disorders of altered tone. |
| Types of Muscle Tone | Muscle tone can be classified as postural and phasic types. |
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What You'll Learn
Muscle tonus helps maintain body posture
Muscle tonus, or muscle tone, is important for several reasons, one of which is maintaining body posture. This is particularly evident when a person sleeps or loses consciousness, as muscle tonus declines in these states, impacting their posture.
Muscle tone is defined as the tension in a muscle at rest, or the resistance to passive stretch. It is the muscle's response to an outside force, such as a stretch or change in direction. This response is important for maintaining posture and balance. For example, the muscles holding the jaw in place keep it in position with a continuous and partial contraction, preventing the head from lolling.
The body maintains a balance between the tone of flexor and extensor muscle groups. When this balance is lost, muscle cramps can occur. Muscle tone can be classified as 'postural' and 'phasic' types. Postural tone is seen in axial muscles where gravity is the most important factor, resulting in a steady stretch on the muscles and tendons and prolonged muscle contraction. This type of muscle tone helps to maintain posture and balance by keeping the body stable and upright, particularly against the force of gravity.
High muscle tone, or hypertonia, is when muscles are in an "over-reactive" state to stretch and exhibit high tension. These muscles react quickly and may maintain a prolonged contraction. Athletes such as sprinters or high jumpers usually have high muscle tone. On the other hand, low muscle tone, or hypotonia, results in slower reactions to stretch and an inability to sustain prolonged muscle contractions. Children with low muscle tone may appear "floppy".
Overall, muscle tonus is important for maintaining body posture by providing the necessary tension and responsiveness to outside forces, such as gravity, that keep the body in a stable position.
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Muscle tonus is linked to flexibility and strength
Muscle tonus, or muscle tone, is the continuous and passive partial contraction of muscles or the muscle's resistance to passive stretch during a resting state. It is important for maintaining posture and balance and helps the body respond to external forces and movements, like a sudden pull or stretch, to prevent injury.
Muscle tone is linked to flexibility and strength, which are important for maintaining bone density, improving balance, and reducing joint pain and the risk of injury. Strength is the muscle's ability to contract and create force in response to resistance, which can be improved through exercises that work the muscles harder than usual, such as weight lifting.
Generally, low muscle tone increases flexibility and decreases strength, while high muscle tone decreases flexibility and increases strength. However, this relationship is not absolute, and there are exceptions. For example, a person with low muscle tone may not be able to perform explosive movements like sprinting or high jumping, which require a certain level of strength and power. On the other hand, a person with high muscle tone may have reduced flexibility, which is important for activities like dance and yoga.
Joint laxity also contributes to flexibility, and a person with high muscle tone may still have flexibility in certain joints, allowing for specific movements like touching the floor with palms and straight knees. Thus, while muscle tone is linked to flexibility and strength, the relationship is complex and influenced by various factors, including the specific joints and muscle groups involved.
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Muscle tonus is important for eye surgery
Muscle tonus, or muscle tone, is the continuous and passive partial contraction of muscles, or the muscle's resistance to passive stretch during a resting state. It is important for maintaining posture and balance, and for guarding against danger.
Eye muscle repair surgery, or strabismus surgery, is a procedure that corrects a muscle imbalance in the eyes, causing them to cross inward or outward. This condition, known as strabismus, results in eyes that don't line up properly and look in different directions. The surgery helps realign the eyes so they point in the same direction, improving binocular vision and the ability to perceive three-dimensionally.
The importance of muscle tonus in eye surgery is evident in the surgical techniques employed to correct strabismus. During the procedure, the surgeon will either shorten or strengthen the muscles by removing a section of the muscle or a nearby tendon (resection), or stretch and reattach the muscle to a point farther back in the eye to weaken it (recession). These techniques directly manipulate the tonus of the eye muscles to achieve the desired alignment.
Additionally, measurements of extraocular muscle tension, which is related to muscle tonus, have been performed on patients undergoing strabismus surgery. These measurements provide valuable information on the physiology and pathology of eye muscles. Understanding the tonus of the eye muscles is crucial for surgeons to make precise adjustments during the procedure.
Furthermore, muscle tonus plays a role in the recovery process after eye surgery. Following strabismus surgery, patients may experience changes in muscle tonus, which can lead to muscle cramps. Muscle relaxants or quinine can be prescribed to alleviate these cramps, helping to moderate the tonus of the affected muscles. Therefore, muscle tonus is important not only during the surgical procedure but also in the post-operative care and recovery phase.
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Muscle tonus is related to movement and postural tasks
Muscle tone can be classified as 'postural' and 'phasic'. Postural tonus is seen in axial muscles where gravity is the most important factor. It results from a steady stretch of the muscles and tendons and is a prolonged muscle contraction. Phasic tonus, on the other hand, is commonly assessed clinically in the extremities as a rapid and short-duration response. It occurs when a tendon and attached muscle are rapidly stretched.
Muscle tone is also related to movement. A person with low tonus will likely not be able to perform explosive movements such as sprinting or high jumping. These athletes tend to have high tonus. A person with high tonus will generally be less flexible, as seen in activities like dance and yoga. Joint laxity is a factor in flexibility, and some people with high tonus can still display flexibility in certain areas due to hypermobile joints.
Bernstein's hierarchical model of movement construction posits that muscle tonus is an adaptive function of the neuromotor apparatus. It responds to commands from upper levels of movement construction, fine-tuning the excitability of sensory and motor cells for active postural or movement control. This definition highlights the importance of muscle tonus in movement and posture.
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Muscle tonus can be classified as postural and phasic types
Muscle tonus is important for several reasons. For one, it helps maintain a balance between the tone of flexor and extensor muscle groups. While people are typically unaware of their muscle tone in their daily activities, losing this tone in either of these muscle groups can result in muscle cramps.
The postural/phasic relationship is described as "a natural, physiologically balanced imbalance between two systems". This means that muscles are not created equal and have variations in structure, function, and physiology. For example, while postural muscles are constantly active, they tend to have a shorter-than-normal resting length. Phasic muscles, on the other hand, can lengthen and weaken in response to over-use, under-use, or trauma.
Understanding the postural and phasic muscle theory is important for trainers and therapists as it teaches them a hierarchy of exercises that support the body and helps them develop programs to meet individual client goals. It is a good strategy for conditioning and can be used as a reliable assessment and rehabilitation tool.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscle tonus is the tension in a muscle at rest. It is the muscle's response to an outside force, such as a stretch or change in direction.
Muscle tonus helps in maintaining body posture. For example, the muscles holding the jaw keep it in position with a continuous and partial contraction. It also helps the body to quickly respond to a stretch.
When muscle tonus is lost, it can result in muscle cramps. This can be treated with muscle relaxants or quinine, although these medications reduce tonus in both the flexor and extensor muscle groups.
