Have you got tight muscles?

Have you got tight muscles?

Have you ever thought to yourself: “I’m feeling really tight here…”. Or do you feel that you can never relax? Or maybe you’re not sure what to do with that muscle tightness?

“Tightness” is a word that we use to describe what we are feeling. This can be interpreted in different ways, such as reduced range of motion, or an area not feeling relaxed.

This means that this “feeling of tightness” is very much just “a feeling” and that it is very different to physical or anatomical properties of actual muscle tension, stiffness or shortness.

 

Why do we get this “tightness” feeling?

Let’s use pain as an analogy. Pain is created by our body as a WARNING saying there is something wrong. Our body can process the threat and produce PAIN even if there is no damage to our body yet.

The feeling of tightness can be used the same way. When our body perceives something is wrong with our body or our movement which needs correction, we can get “that feeling”.

But what is threatening my body?

Although there may be actual muscular tension, this is not the main threat to our body. Instead, the absence of adequate blood flow or rest of our body is the threat, as this can cause metabolic stress and activate chemical nociceptors.

 

 

What can I do for Muscle Tightness?

Many muscular tightness can be related to movement or posture. If a certain movement or posture is giving this “tightness” feeling as it is the main cause.

There are many different ways to target muscle tightness through a clinical setting. This can include:

• Stretching
• Soft tissue massage
• Dry needling/Acupuncture
• Heat therapy
• Exercises (motor control & strengthening)

 

Keep in mind that there may be complex cases where the cause of tightness can be caused by other factors such as sleep, emotions such as stress, diet or any other unknown factors. In this case, movement or posture changes may not provide relief.

 

If you are experiencing tightness in your body, or know anyone who is suffering from tightness, contact our team on (07) 32738887 for further advice on your case.