Conditions That Can Cause Hypotonia (Low Muscle Tone)

Hypotonia is the medical term used to describe an individual who has decreased muscle tone. Muscle tone describes the specific amount of stiffness and tension the muscles retain at all times that can be felt as a counteraction to movement. Healthy individuals have muscles that always have a certain amount of muscle tone and that do not ever fully relax. Hypotonia occurs when this muscle tone decreases and the muscles remain too relaxed. Hypotonia can be confused with muscle weakness as the conditions are associated with each other, but they are not the same.