By Henry Ready 05/02/2026 Conditions

Hypertonia: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

What is hypertonia and how is it treated?

Struggling with muscle stiffness, tightness, or reduced mobility? You are not alone. Hypertonia is a condition where muscles remain abnormally tense; this can make everyday movements feel difficult and even painful. The constant muscle tightness can be exhausting when it affects your ability to walk, exercise, or even simply go about your daily routine.

If left untreated, hypertonia can lead to compensatory movement patterns which can result in poor posture. This can further lead to joint problems and chronic pain, further impacting your quality of life. But the good news? It does not have to stay this way.

At Recover Physiotherapy, we specialise in identifying the root cause of the increased muscle tone and provide personalised treatment programs to help you regain mobility, reduce discomfort, and restore muscle function to its optimum. Through a combination of soft-tissue therapy, dry-needling, targeted exercises, and expert guidance from our physiotherapists, we can help you take control of your symptoms and get back to doing what you love every day.

Keep reading to learn more about hypertonia, its causes, and how physiotherapy can help.

What is hypertonia?

Hypertonia is a condition where muscles remain abnormally tight, leading to stiffness, restricted movement, and discomfort. Normally, muscle tone helps maintain posture and movement, but with hypertonia, the muscles do not relax properly. This increased tone can make everyday activities more challenging.

What are the types of hypertonia?

Spastic Hypertonia: Characterised by sudden onset muscle spasms, which can lead to stiffness and difficulty with movement. It often occurs due to neurological conditions such as a stroke or spinal cord injury, where the brain struggles to send signals to the muscles correctly.
Dystonic Hypertonia: Unlike spastic hypertonia, muscle stiffness here occurs even when at rest, without movement triggering the tightness. This can result in abnormal postures, muscle cramps, and persistent discomfort.

What are the symptoms?

Hypertonia can present itself in all sorts of different ways, often varying in severity and type. Common signs include:

Muscle stiffness and reduced mobility: Tightness that makes day-to-day movements difficult.
Involuntary muscle spasms and twitching: Sudden, uncontrolled movements or jerking.
Throbbing pain and muscle soreness: Persistent discomfort due to overactive muscles.
Postural abnormalities: Difficulty maintaining proper posture due to increased tone.
Joint stiffness: Reduced flexibility in limbs or joints due to prolonged tightness.
Difficulty with coordination and balance: Movements may feel clumsy or unsteady.

What is the difference between hypotonia and hypertonia?

Hypertonia and hypotonia are opposite conditions affecting muscle tone. While hypertonia refers to increased muscle tone and stiffness, hypotonia refers to decreased muscle tone, leading to “floppy” or weak muscles, poor posture, and difficulty with coordination. Hypertonia is often linked with conditions like stroke or cerebral palsy, whereas hypotonia is frequently seen in cases of Down Syndrome or muscular dystrophy.

Both conditions can be managed with physiotherapy, though the approach differs significantly. For hypertonia, we focus on reducing tone through mobilisations and dry-needling. For hypotonia, our aim is to strengthen muscles and improve stability.

What are the causes of hypertonia?

Hypertonia is typically caused by a defect in the central nervous system which makes communication between the brain and the muscles more difficult than normal. When these pathways are damaged, the brain cannot effectively tell the muscle to relax.

Various causes include:

Having a stroke.
Injury to the nervous system caused by brain trauma.
Complications during birth or pregnancy leading to a defective central nervous system.
A brain tumour.

How can I treat my hypertonia?

Treating hypertonia requires a multifaceted approach to manage symptoms and improve function. Options include:

Physiotherapy: A cornerstone of management to improve movement and reduce pain.
Muscle relaxant medicine: Often prescribed by a GP to help reduce tension.
Regular exercise: Targeted mobility training to maintain joint range.
Surgery: In severe cases where other treatments have not been successful.

At Recover Physiotherapy, we provide a personalised approach catered to each patient’s specific needs. We recommend that you first consult with your GP where necessary before starting a new treatment regime.

Speak to a therapist

If you would like to discuss your condition to find out how we can help, you can speak to one of our friendly therapists. Just click below to request a callback from a member of our team.

Alternatively, if you would like to get going with your treatment straight away you can book an initial assessment online by clicking the link below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does hypertonia mean?

Hypertonia is a condition where muscles remain abnormally tight and tense because they cannot relax properly, which often leads to restricted movement and discomfort. It is typically caused by damage to the central nervous system that disrupts the communication pathways between the brain and the muscles.

What is the difference between hypertonia and hypotonia?

While hypertonia involves increased muscle tone and stiffness, hypotonia refers to decreased muscle tone, often resulting in “floppy” or weak muscles and poor coordination. Both are opposite conditions affecting how the body manages muscle tension and stability.

What does hypertonia look like?

In practice, hypertonia often appears as stiff, rigid limbs or involuntary muscle spasms and twitching. It can also manifest as abnormal postures or a lack of coordination, making movements seem clumsy or unsteady.

What are the symptoms of hypertonia in adults?

Common symptoms include persistent muscle soreness, throbbing pain, and reduced joint flexibility. Adults may also experience difficulty with everyday tasks like walking or exercising due to the constant, exhausting muscle tension.