{"id":1668,"date":"2017-08-08T03:59:29","date_gmt":"2017-08-08T03:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/painremovers.apps-1and1.net\/?p=1668"},"modified":"2023-05-11T22:14:31","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T22:14:31","slug":"muscle-tightness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/painremovers.co.nz\/index.php\/muscle-tightness\/","title":{"rendered":"WHY DO I FEEL CONSTANT MUSCLE TIGHTNESS?"},"content":{"rendered":"
MUSCLE TIGHTNESS<\/h6>\n

“Why do I feel constant muscle tightness?”, you may ask yourself. \u00a0Are you compulsively stretching this way and that, but just never feel any better? There are various reasons for feeling this way:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1) POSTURAL ADAPTATION<\/h5>\n
\n

Did you know that soft tissue shortens into the direction of the greatest load? Our bodies are trying to support our most frequently held postures by this mechanism. This is why it is so important that we move out of habitually held postures and do some different movements. I.e.: If you are stuck at a desk all day, do this frequently:<\/p>\n

1) Stand up and bend backwards to stretch your hips and spine out from the constant forward bend
\n2)Twist from side to side, to mobilise the mid spine
\n3) bend from side to side, to lengthen the shortened side body<\/p>\n

A big issue with postural adaptation is the time factor. For instance, spinal muscles shorten and tighten within 20 minutes!!!! of not moving. Yes, I know!<\/p>\n

Once muscles are adapting to your most commonly held postures, you are likely to develop<\/p>\n

2) MUSCLE IMBALANCE<\/h5>\n

Each joint is surrounded by muscles that work in pairs. One set of muscle shortens and contracts. This means the opposing set of muscles have to lengthen and relax. On a broader level, the muscles that act on the front of your body should be matched in strength and length by the muscles at the back of your body. For example, if you sit all day at a computer\u00a0your shoulders are likely pulled forward creating a strength\u00a0imbalance\u00a0between the front of your body and the back.<\/p>\n

It is easy to see, that if we spend large amounts of time in one position, a postural adaptation<\/strong> progresses into a muscle imbalance<\/strong>. Muscles that are weak have no choice but to become tight in order to cope with the excessive pull of the “strong opposition”. \u00a0The classic scenario in our mostly sedentary lives is of course the seated position:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the long run, muscle imbalances usually lead us into to pain and injury. Injury is not necessarily brought on by sport or activity, although we are of course more likely to injure ourselves during activities when we have severe muscle imbalances. However most common injuries to joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments are actually repeated strain injuries, or what is now called “occupational overuse”.<\/p>\n

SO WHAT CAN THE AVERAGE ADULT WITH LIMITED TIME DO?<\/h5>\n