Case Study: Low Muscle Tone

Baby T with low muscle tone

I saw Baby T when he was three months old. We met at a park and he was resting on the grass. T’s mother raised concern about his head position being fixed to one side. I briefly applied some Feldenkrais techniques and within a few minutes he turned his head to the opposite side. But again, he fixed his head into the new position. We both observed that something wasn’t going smooth so the mother took T to a paediatrician and two physiotherapists who all diagnosed him with mild Hypotonia or Low Muscle Tone.  The physiotherapists started him on an exercise regime to strengthen his muscles and improve his balance. The mother’s concerns were on multiple levels, as hypotonia can be linked with other conditions, and no one could guarantee that he had only that condition.

The mother decided to bring T to individual Feldenkrais lessons. I worked with T twice weekly over a period of four weeks and then reduced the intensity to once per week.  During our Feldenkrais lessons, from very early on, it was possible to observe T’s intelligence, active participation and correct responses to stimulations provided during the lessons.

The mother told me how important these meetings were for her baby and for her emotional balance. It was the only place where her son wasn’t seen for what he wasn’t, or as a problem, but for the qualities and abilities that he presented and that could be reinforced and expanded into new skills. We were delighted to watch Baby T reaching his developmental milestones such as rolling over, crawling, standing and walking no later than his peers, being socially active and confident.