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Child Foot Pain – Hypotonia

Child Foot Pain – Hypotonia

 

Hypotonia (low muscle tone) is a reduced tension in the muscle when it is at rest and results in a looseness of the muscle. This doesn’t mean that the muscle is necessarily weak although in some cases it can be.

Child Foot Pain - Hypotonia

Hypotonia is caused when there is a disruption to the signal being sent from the brain to the nerves that control the muscle. Usually there is a neuromuscular or genetic condition responsible for this disruption but sometimes a cause may not be identified. Some conditions in children that can cause hypotonia include:

  • Down Syndrome
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Premature birth
  • Ehlers-danlos Syndrome
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Meningitis

In infants hypotonia is sometimes called floppy baby syndrome and they may present with their arms and legs just hanging by their sides and with poor head control. As the child gets older the low tension in the muscles may lead to developmental delay in both fine and gross motor skills. Mobility can be affected as the foot and ankle tend to roll in when the muscles surrounding the joints are too loose. This makes affect balance in standing and walking and often results in increased falls.

Often children with hypotonia need extra support around the foot and ankle to improve the position of the joints and give a more stable base of support. A supportive insole with a good arch support and a deep heel cup may help. If this is not enough support, then an Orthotist would fit the child with a brace that comes up over the ankle.

 

 

The insoles we recommend for Hypotonia are: PROGENIE

 

Would you like to know more about common foot pain problems before making a choice? You may find one of the following blog articles useful:

 

Severs Disease – Click here to read our ‘Child Foot Pain – Severs Disease’ blog to find out more.

Flat Feet (Pes Planus) – Click here to read our ‘Child Foot Pain – Flat Feet (Pes Planus)’ blog to find out more.

Hypotonia – Click here to read our ‘Child Foot Pain – Hypotonia’ blog to find out more.

Juvenile Arthritis – Click here to read our ‘Child Foot Pain – Juvenile Arthritis’ blog to find out more.

Plantar Fasciitis – Click here to read our ‘Foot Pain – Plantar Fasciitis’ blog to find out more.

Paediatric Bunion – Click here to read our ‘Foot Pain – Bunions’ blog to find out more.

 

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