Virtually all of us have experienced muscle tightness before. There are numerous potential causes for muscle tightness, including some that are tied to diseases. The most obvious causes are soreness from exercise and overuse. How can you tell if your stiffness is a medical condition and not from exercise? Likely there are other symptoms that point you toward the need to see a doctor.
All sorts of ailments, from mild to life-threatening, can cause muscle tightness. Some potential causes are: infection, flu, lupus, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia (spasms), Huntington’s disease and many others. Don’t freak out. Chances are high your muscle tightness is from overuse or exercise. If you feel there may be a medical cause for your muscle tightness a doctor’s visit is in order. In most cases, there are a number of ways you can help treat the condition without medical assistance (or very little).
Older people may find their muscles tighten up after periods of inactivity, such as sleeping or sitting for long periods. Aging itself can trigger muscle tightness, often from arthritis.
You have determined that it isn’t old age causes your problems. It isn’t likely disease or illness, either. Almost all muscle tightness will go away with rest. But there are things you can do to help right away.
1. Improve core strength
The muscles of your abdomen, sides and lower back make up your core. Core training goes beyond the famous six-pack abs. These muscles are important as they support your body. Without a strong core, you can experience back and shoulder pain. Prolonged periods of sedentary activity can weaken your core. Many of us sit at our jobs (and at home), making core training even more important.
The plank is an excellent exercise to develop the core. Rest your body on your elbows and toes while keeping your body straight, then hold that position for up to a minute. Planks give a workout to every muscle of your core. The crunch and the bridge are two of many other great exercises to strengthen your core. Think of improving your core as a preventative measure.
2. Resistance training
Resistance training refers to workouts that involve outside resistance that cause the muscles to contract. It commonly means weight training, although it could also refer to rubber resistance bands and body weight training. Resistance training causes small tears in the muscle fibers that repair quickly and become stronger in the process.
While muscle soreness is a direct result of this process of breaking down and repairing muscle fibers, it can paradoxically prevent muscle tightness. Resistance exercises increase your strength and endurance and makes for a more favorable distribution of your muscle fibers. It is important to allow time for your muscles to heal, which is why alternating days for different muscle groups is a good idea.
3. Foam roller
A foam roller workout is a cheaper version of a massage or rubdown, with many of the same benefits. These long, cylindrical tubes can be used to break down the fibers of your muscles and increase circulation.
There are a variety of foam roller exercises that can be useful for muscle tightness. All of them are similar in nature. From a prone position, put the foam roller underneath the desired area and then roll back and forth with a controlled effort. These exercises and simple, easy to do and can be done from home. Make sure you move slowly and hold at the position of a sore spot. Then repeat the action.
Foam rolling has become another way to give a “self-massage,” to loosen up sore or overstretched muscles during physical activity. The foam roller helps to loosen trigger points that might be sore or stretched. When you apply pressure to specific points on your body, you’re able to help the muscles recover. A deep tissue massage can also help, but a foam roller is a cheaper and convenient alternative for loosening sore muscles without scheduling a massage appointment. Foam rollers are inexpensive and can be found in most exercise departments at retail stores. There are six basic foam roller moves that can be performed to loosen muscles.
Foam rollers perform 7 objectives for loosening muscles. These include loosening tight, sore muscles, reduces stress, prevents injury, increases flexibility, boosts circulation, prevents soreness, and increases range of motion.
4. Take a hot bath
During periods of intense exercise, our body produces a substance called lactase, commonly called lactic acid. This lactic acid buildup in your muscles may cause a burning sensation. A hot bath can help eliminate the buildup of this acid.
Heating muscles can also assist relaxation of sore and tight muscles. The heat stimulates better blood flow to the area. There has always been a question of whether it is better to apply cold or heat to tight muscles. A cold compress can help numb the pain but warmth is needed for better blood flow and relaxation of the tight muscles.
5. Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves inserting very fine needles of 1-2 inches into key areas of the body. While acupuncture is still controversial for some people, the practice that originated in China is becoming more popular in Western culture.
How does it work for muscle tightness? Acupuncture helps with blood circulation, releases endorphins to help with pain and helps muscles relax, according to acupuncture practitioner and personal trainer Katie Au. It does this by treating adhesions where scar tissue forms. Au says that acupuncture, along with rest, will improve and speed up the body’s healing. It reduces inflammation, decreases pain and promotes better oxygenation, says Au.
6. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is created by your skin when it is contacted by the sun. The skin has a chemical that turns to Vitamin D3 and then is converted to vitamin D by our kidneys and liver. Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread problem and is associated with muscle soreness, among other problems. Even in sunny areas, a significant portion of the population does not get enough vitamin D.
Dark skin pigmentation, always wearing sunscreen and not getting enough sunlight are common causes of vitamin D deficiency. You can correct it and the associated muscle pain by getting out more often in daytime or by taking supplements.
7. Massage
If you have ever suffered from a sensitive area in your soft tissues, you might well have called it a “knot.” The actual technical term for these knots is “myofascial trigger points.” If you have ever visited a massage therapist, you may have heard this term. There is some scientific doubt as to whether these are caused by cramps, but little doubt they exist and can be painful.
A massage therapist can help with these small areas of muscle tightness by rubbing and pressing on the troublesome area. This works in the same way as foam rolling, by breaking down tissue and promoting better circulation.
