Muscle Tone

[hannahmadeline]

Hi, I am hoping someone can explain muscle tone to me. When patients suffer from something like upper cross syndrome and they are prescribed with exercises to work the trapezius muscles, do these exercises increase the tone of the muscles, or does it just strengthen them? I hope that makes sense! Many thanks

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[neurospast]

Muscle tone is the tension of the muscle assumed caused by the motor nerve activity. For this reason we talk e.g. about a tone at rest which mean the tension when no action by the muscle is undertaken. The tone in general is as far as I am concerned a bit more complicated since e.g. tension of the fascia could contribute to the rest tone. Also to consider that tone is depending on the activity of the nerve which innervates the muscle. In case of hightened stress physical or mental the nerve activity will go up.
Positioning of a joint can also alter nerve activity by propriocepsis feedback.
What I have tried to do is not to answer your question but to direct you in a couple of directions which will help you to understand tone. Thus look into what nerves assist in feedback to the muscle ( muscle length/tension and propriocepsis) and you will find the answer.

[toddchaney]

The low level contraction of muscles when they are at rest is known as muscle tone. While these exercises you mentioned are effective in strengthening the muscles, I am not sure about the toning.