What Causes Muscle Tightness?
If you are a regular Tight Muscle Tuesday reader, welcome back and we hope you’ve learned a lot over the last year or so. If you are new, welcome to Tight Muscle Tuesday!
This week we will take a break from looking at the pelvis and start at the beginning with the question, ‘What causes muscle tightness?’
What is Muscle Tightness?
Muscle tightness is the difficulty you have moving and can range from
Discomfort to
Cramping to
Pain.[i]
Amongst many things tight muscles can be
Limiting,
Frustrating, and
Sometimes painful.[ii]
It can occur
During long periods of inactivity,
During exercise, and
After exercise.[iii]
What Causes Muscles Tightness?
When we need to move a part of our body, our brain sends a signal to our muscle which causes it to contract or tighten.[iv] They are attached to our bones and this causes our body to move around our joints.
Muscle tightness happens when a muscle or group of muscles remain partly or completely contracted for an long time. Our brain tells us to contract the muscle even when we don’t need it for movement anymore.[v] This can happen when doing static activities for long tensions such as typing.[vi]
Exercise
Exercise can also cause microscopic muscle fibre damage which can result in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This is particularly bad after exercises that focus on the lengthening motion of muscles (eccentric contractions). Some common causes are
Stress
Stress can also cause muscle tightness.
When we are stressed it affects our nervous system and reduce the blood flow to our muscles. This can lead to tension.[ix]
Conclusion
Muscle tightness can range from a small sense of tension through to outright pain. It can be caused by prolonged inactivity or static activities such as typing, by stress and during and after exercise. Next time we will look at ways to reduce muscle tension.
[i] https://www.healthline.com/health/muscle-stiffness#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
[ii] https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/1478/why-do-muscles-tighten-up/
[iii] https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/1478/why-do-muscles-tighten-up/
[iv] https://www.healthline.com/health/muscle-rigidity#causes
[v] https://www.healthline.com/health/muscle-rigidity#causes
[vi] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320545#causes
[vii] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320545#seeing-a-doctor
[viii] https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/1478/why-do-muscles-tighten-up/
[ix] https://www.healthline.com/health/muscle-rigidity#causes
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/VastTerribleGermanshorthairedpointer-mobile.mp4
Self-Myofascial Release (SMFR) / Self-massage
Hip Flexor Foam Roll
Place a roller across your mat.
Lie on your front on your elbows with the roller at the front of your hips.
Slowly roll back and forward.
https://gfycat.com/ifr/GiganticNeighboringGallinule
Yoga
Low Lunge
Start in downward facing dog
Step one foot forward between your heels with the knee over the heel
Lower the rear knee for the floor and slide it back until you feel a stretch
Lift your torso and arms toward the ceiling/sky. Draw your tailbone toward the floor
Photo by yodiyim/iStock / Getty Images