Many kids have gotten sick with something at least once. Myositis, in which the striated muscles become inflamed, does not bypass them either. Recently, pediatricians have often discovered this disease, myositis, in children.
As a rule, because of it, children's sleep is disturbed, they themselves are constantly tired, and their mobility is significantly reduced.
Myositis in children
To prevent further development of the disease and prevent transition to the chronic stage, it is necessary to identify the disease, discover the root cause and prescribe a course of treatment suitable for the baby.
As has already become clear, in this article we will talk about myositis in children. We will analyze in detail the causes, the clinical picture of a sick child, and also talk about how to detect and cure the disease.
Causes of the disease
A lot of factors can provoke the disease. Your child may have developed myositis:
- infectious due to the penetration of infection into the child’s body in the form of a harmful virus or bacteria;
- parasitic infectious - myositis is provoked in this case by echinococci, trichinella, etc.;
- traumatic - if the baby falls or hits himself, inflammation can occur in response to the damage;
- static-dynamic – when the child is in an uncomfortable position for a long time;
- due to hypothermia - too cold clothes, fans, air conditioners, prolonged swimming in a pond and other factors;
- due to too much physical strain on the neck muscles.
According to many doctors, cervical myositis in children can also occur due to the fact that the baby’s neck muscles are hypertonic. Inflammation can also be caused by severe and frequent stress, which can lead to spasms of the neck muscles. Over time, this phenomenon can cause constant, persistent spasms and pain.
What is myositis?
Despite the unfamiliarity of the word, the disease that it means has been experienced by almost every person. Myositis is an inflammation of one or more skeletal muscles. Its most common subtype is cervical, the famous “blown neck”, when due to hypothermia, tilting the head or turning begins to cause pain in the cervical area. In children it occurs at almost any age, most often starting from 2 years. The younger the child, the more dangerous the inflammation is for him.
In addition to hypothermia, it can be caused by a variety of reasons: previous infection, injury, prolonged uncomfortable position of the muscles, intoxication, infection with parasites. The disease may also be of an autoimmune nature.
In addition to cervical myositis, there are many more of its varieties, depending on what part of the muscles is affected by inflammation: dorsal, thoracic, shoulder girdle, etc. In children, gastrocnemius myositis is very common, especially after suffering from acute respiratory viral infections, influenza or enterovirus. The pain can be so acute that the child cannot stand on his feet for several days.
Symptoms
Identifying cervical myositis in children sometimes turns out to be quite difficult, since the child himself does not say anything about his health, and the parent can only guess what is bothering his child. Often in such a situation, even older children cannot really explain what exactly hurts and where. In general, the clinical picture of the disease is as follows:
- pain in the neck, which can spread lower;
- increase in skin temperature;
- weakness of the child, some symptoms of intoxication.
But, in addition, treatment of myositis in children may be necessary after the manifestation of some particular symptoms, which do not occur in every situation and may depend on which muscles are affected. These symptoms include:
- Limitation of the child’s body mobility due to pain.
- Uncontrolled muscle contractions.
- Redness of the skin and swelling of the tissues directly above the site of inflammation.
Often the first signs of myositis of the neck muscles in a 3-year-old child appear at the moment of awakening; often the baby begins to be capricious, and parents note his lethargy, and attempts to change body position are accompanied by bouts of crying. When a parent tries to examine the baby, he may notice muscle tightness and tenderness to palpation.
How to recognize the symptoms of myositis?
The most important symptom is, of course, pain in or near the affected area. If a child cannot speak yet, he shows in various ways that he is uncomfortable: he cries with certain movements, and often touches the affected area with his hand. Sometimes inflammation causes swelling, visible to the naked eye. The sore spot becomes dense, hot, and can be felt as a single swelling or separate nodules. Optional but common symptoms are also a general fever and headache.
However, myositis is one of those diseases where independent diagnosis and uncontrolled treatment can be very harmful. Calf myositis, which developed, for example, after suffering from influenza A, can easily be confused with reactive arthritis if the child cannot yet explain where exactly his legs hurt. And neglected myositis can become chronic and last for months of treatment.
How to diagnose?
To determine myositis in a child, it is not enough to feel the sore spot yourself. You need to consult a doctor to identify the causes of the baby’s pain, since they may lie in something completely different. To establish a diagnosis, you will need to take tests and undergo diagnostic procedures.
What tests are needed?
In general, the doctor may prescribe for the child:
- General blood analysis.
- Detection of alkaline phosphatase.
- Serum creatinine and total creatine kinase, its MB fractions.
As a result, it will be possible to determine the cause of pain and deterioration in the child’s well-being, confirm or refute the presence of myositis of the neck muscles in a small child.
About the disease
Myositis is an inflammatory disease that affects the skeletal muscles of not only adults, but also children.
As a rule, this disease occurs in children over two to three years of age. Myositis can occur in different ways. It usually lasts up to 20 days. If the disease becomes acute, the duration of its stay in the body increases to three months. If detected untimely, even after three months, the disease enters the chronic stage.
Myositis is an extremely dangerous disease for any child.
In children, myositis can affect either one muscle or a whole group of them. It even happens that not one group is affected, but several at once. It's all about the diffusion that myositis creates.
Almost every person has encountered this disease at least once in their life.
Its severity varies greatly. As a rule, myositis is divided into three types of disease, and they differ in the severity of development and many other features:
- cervical;
- lumbar;
- chest
As a rule, the first two types of myositis are more common.
Treatment
First of all, the doctor will prescribe external medications and oral medications. External preparations are gels and ointments that have a local irritant effect and also anesthetize the affected muscles. They improve blood circulation in the diseased area, thereby providing a healing effect. It is worth knowing that treatment of neck myositis in a child cannot involve the use of drugs based on snake or bee venom; camphor or menthol ointments are best suited. Everything will depend on the age of the little patient.
In addition to external medications, anti-inflammatory non-steroidal medications are necessarily prescribed. Among these may be children's Ibuprofen or its analogues. Such a remedy will be aimed at treating inflammation and eliminating its manifestations. However, the advisability of use depends on whether the child tolerates aspirin normally, whether there are problems with the digestive organs, kidneys, etc.
How is myositis treated in children?
First of all, it is necessary to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. In case of a mild form of myositis caused by hypothermia, the child is usually prescribed Nurofen (ibuprofen), and Traumeel or other ointment is applied externally to the site of the lesion. You should not use ointments that you use to relieve neck pain: not all of them are suitable for children.
In more serious forms of the disease, the decision on therapy can only be made by the attending physician and only based on the reasons for the development of myositis and the condition of the child. In any case, at first you need to ensure peace and warmth of the affected area and, of course, exclude physical activity.
After acute inflammation has been relieved, physical therapy becomes an important part of the child’s treatment and recovery.
Most often, a course of magnetic therapy and phonophoresis is used, and physical therapy is included in the recovery period. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT PRICES
Complications caused by myositis
Poor circulation in the neck muscles causes weakness in the arms.
Cervical myositis can lead to the following complications:
- impaired blood circulation in the muscles;
- the occurrence of spasms;
- the appearance of swelling;
- compression of nerve endings;
- problems with sensitivity of the limbs.
If the disease is diagnosed at an advanced stage, the appearance of muscular atrophy and joint displacement cannot be ruled out. As a result, prerequisites appear for the development of intervertebral hernia, which is unsafe for health.
The main task of parents is to immediately contact a child therapist for help if their baby exhibits alarming symptoms. At home, it is important to monitor the child’s comfort - use the right pillow, provide a healthy diet.
Diagnostics
When making a diagnosis, it is extremely important to differentiate myositis from osteochondrosis. For this purpose, x-rays and electromyography are performed. After examining the patient and collecting anamnesis, the specialist will find out whether the mobility of the vertebrae is preserved and whether there are degenerative lesions in them. With myositis, increased activity of muscle enzymes will be detected in the blood, as well as the presence of specific antibodies.
On our website Dobrobut.com you can sign up for a consultation with the right specialist. At a personal appointment, the doctor will answer questions and talk about how to treat myositis of the neck muscles.
Treatment methods and preventive measures
The sooner drug treatment for cervical myositis begins, the sooner it will be possible to alleviate the child’s condition and achieve positive dynamics. Two main areas are taken into account:
- reducing pain;
- ensuring complete rest for the affected area.
It is important to fix your neck in a motionless and stable position that will not allow you to bend or turn your head. One of the main conditions for successful treatment is ensuring the immobility of the neck muscles.
To reduce pain, wear a Shants collar
Painkillers will help reduce discomfort. To stop the pathological process in muscle tissue, the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Local preparations include ointments, gels, muscle relaxants, a solution of camphor and menthol for rubbing.
As maintenance therapy, exercise therapy (physical exercise, use of a Gleason loop), heating and electrophoresis are recommended at the recovery stage.
The attending physician is solely responsible for prescribing medications, since many medications have age restrictions. Ointments with a warming effect cannot be used to treat purulent myositis, accompanied by elevated body temperature and pulsations of the skin at the site of the lesion. Rubbing in ointments and gels will be effective if the disease has developed due to hypothermia.
During the treatment period, fried, salty, and spicy foods are excluded from the children's menu. It is important to maintain a drinking regime, which includes drinking at least 2 liters of clean water per day.
The restoration of muscle fibers will go faster if you provide the child with a sufficient amount of polyunsaturated acids, which are found in red fish, tuna and other fatty varieties.
Diagnosis of the disease
When examining and palpating the neck, the doctor identifies compacted areas in the muscles.
The first step in the list of diagnostic measures is a visual examination of the patient by the attending physician. The specialist collects anamnesis, records the patient’s complaints, and performs palpation of the area where the pain is located.
Symptoms of neck myositis in a child imply the occurrence of characteristic changes in muscle structure, which can be identified precisely by palpating the affected area. During the examination, the doctor records the compaction of muscle fibers and the presence of swelling.
If the clinical picture is in doubt, additional studies are prescribed in the form of radiography, electromyography, which allows analysis of muscle activity. Diagnostic measures help to identify existing bone lesions and study intramuscular processes.
Making a diagnosis requires special tools to carry out the above-described manipulations:
- ultrasound machine;
- apparatus for electroneuromyography;
- technique for studying muscle strength.
An important role in the process of diagnosing myositis is played by the results of laboratory tests, especially a general blood test. When studying the data obtained, the doctor pays special attention to alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, MB fractions of creatine kinase (its general indicator)