Some of the words clients use to describe their muscles when they seek massage treatment include tightness, cramping, pain and stiffness. It can impact our entire wellbeing when we feel discomfort in our body. Most people want to find relief. Muscle groups that cause pain and tightness are often target by massage experts to help find that relief. With proper methods and techniques, massage therapists can apply varying degrees of pressure to increase blood flow as well as target and stretch out the sore tissue that causes tightness. Today, we at Massage Miami Beach would like to discuss the causes of muscle tightness.
What Does it Feel Like to have Tense Muscles?
It can be tough to describe the experience of muscle stiffness or tightness, since it can be different for everyone. Generally, muscle rigidity is characterized by the inability to relax muscles to a state they should be in normally. Some may feel a cramp or find it difficult to move and others experience sharp pain. About 600 muscles in the human body are categorize them into three types that includes cardiac, skeletal, and smooth. Our skeletal muscles are usually affected by muscle tightness, and they comprise 30-40% of our total body mass. The brain sends a nerve signal to each of the muscles in that specific body part when we want to use or move a particular part of the body, which makes the muscles naturally contract until you need to use them again upon which our muscles then return to a relaxed state after contracting. For a certain period of time, sometimes our muscles can remain in a fully or partially contracted state.
Stress Can Cause Muscle Pain
Stress is one of the biggest causes of muscle tightness. In addition to other complex symptoms like high blood pressure or digestive problems, stress can do a number on our body and mind, and it can display throughout the body as physical pain, and tension. Stress can impact the nervous system and its functionality in terms of muscle tightness.
Dehydration Can Affect Your Muscles
Especially since our muscles (and kidneys) are made of 79% water, not staying properly hydrated can increase the feeling of muscle and joint pain. To help lubricate our joints to keep us moving pain-free, drinking enough water helps prevent our muscles and tendons from feeling tight.
Muscles Can Hurt from Inactivity
We are spending long hours sitting at our desk, especially since the pandemic and working more hours from home. Without frequent, periodic movement and exercise of our muscles, tightness can occur as a result making it even more difficult to move. Over time, the sedentary lifestyle can cause muscle tightness over time.
Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
Athletes commonly experience DOMS. After a strenuous workout for a few days, it can cause a number of physical symptoms like severe pain and tenderness and reduced joint range.
Muscles are Affected By Poor Posture
Maintaining proper posture is essential whether we are sitting, standing, or lying down although it is not always the easiest task to accomplish. Pain in both muscle and joints can develop from poor posture can cause musculoskeletal imbalance.
Muscle Strain
Injury to the soft tissue occurs when you strain various area of the body, and it can impact how our muscles and tendon’s function.
Massage Therapy & More in Greater Miami Beach, Downtown Miami, Brickell, Hialeah, Miami Gardens, Kendall, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines & Hollywood, FL
To help you find relief with muscle tightness, Massage Miami Beach can help you with various types of massages that can address your specific needs.