How Pediatric Therapy Helps Children with Hypotonia

Our movement specialists will help your children improve both fine and gross motor skills

Does your infant feel limp when you pick them up? Do they struggle to sit upright? They may have hypotonia, also known as low muscle tone. At Skills on the Hill, our pediatric therapists offer several solutions for managing the condition.

While hypotonia itself is easily recognizable, marked by a sense of “floppiness,” it’s often difficult to identify its exact cause. Hypotonia is almost always a symptom of another condition, such as muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or certain genetic or metabolic syndromes. In some cases, the underlying condition is otherwise benign.

Regardless of that underlying cause, however, we offer a wealth of options to help manage your child’s condition, improving both fine and gross motor skills and strengthening their muscles over time.

If your child has recently received a hypotonia diagnosis, or you suspect a low muscle tone, schedule an appointment at Skills on the Hill in Washington, DC or Arlington, VA pediatric therapy clinic. We’ll perform a thorough assessment and develop a customized treatment plan just for your child!

What are the symptoms of hypotonia?

Hypotonia is marked by several physical symptoms that are generally easy to identify. Here are some things to watch out for if your child is very young:

• A ragdoll-like appearance
• Difficulty holding up their head
• Delayed or undeveloped motor skills (such as sitting, rolling, or crawling)
• Joint hypermobility

As your child grows, you might notice additional symptoms, such as:

• Overall developmental delays
• Clumsy movement patterns
• A tendency to observe activities rather than participate
• A tendency to become easily frustrated by physically challenging tasks

If you think your child might have hypotonia, it’s important to have them tested and begin treatment. Early intervention is key in managing or even resolving hypotonia. At Skills on the Hill, we’ll work with you, your child, and your child’s care team to ensure they have the best possible outcome.

The role of pediatric therapy in treating hypotonia

Our team of experts offers several treatment options to help your child improve their muscle tone. Our goal is to build muscle strength, which will help your child develop and improve fine and gross motor skills.

Depending on your child’s needs, here are some of the treatment options we can provide:

• Therapeutic exercise: We’ll develop a customized exercise based on your child’s specific needs. Areas we can address include improving muscle strength, endurance, coordination, and balance.

• Functional training: With functional training exercises, we’ll help your child develop the skills for everyday movements, such as getting dressed or going up and down stairs.

• Manual therapy: In some cases, hands-on treatments like therapeutic massage can help develop muscle tone and motor development.

• Orthotics: Braces and other orthotic devices can provide stability and support to help improve your child’s mobility.

• Patient and caregiver education: Our experts will provide you and your child with information about their condition, along with exercises to do at home–empowering both you and your child to take control of managing their hypotonia!

Because we understand that every child is different, we always customize our treatment plans to each patient. We’ll look at factors like age, the underlying cause of your child’s hypotonia, the severity of their condition, their current abilities levels, and their interests to develop a program that suits their needs.

What can my child expect from pediatric therapy?

At your child’s first appointment, we’ll conduct an in-depth evaluation to determine areas of strength and weakness. This evaluation will also consist of a review of your child’s health history, including any diagnoses or symptoms that might help identify an underlying cause if one hasn’t been determined yet. If one has, we’ll work with your child’s pediatrician to ensure they receive the best possible care.

Using the information from our evaluation, we’ll develop a customized treatment plan, including in-clinic and at-home exercises. We’ll also show you ways to incorporate at-home training into your child’s regular activities.

At Skills on the Hill, we want children to feel comfortable and relaxed during their treatments, so we try to encourage a sense of play at all in-clinic sessions. By using fun, colorful toys and equipment, we hope your child will see pediatric therapy more like recess than a doctor’s visit!

Request an appointment at Skills on the Hill today!

If your child has been diagnosed with hypotonia, our team of pediatric specialists is here to help them build strength and muscle tone. Contact us to schedule an appointment at our Washington, DC or Arlington, VA clinic today!

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562209/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29630564/

https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/hypotonia