6 types of muscle tension

Everyone has tight muscles sometimes, and some people have tight muscles all the time. While tightness is certainly uncomfortable and a request for attention, it is not a useful diagnostic adjective, because this sensation has several causes. Treatment for one type of tight muscle can actually worsen another. Learn six types of tension so you can respond to your muscles’ complaints more effectively.

#1 Short and overused

After a long walk or intense workout, your leg muscles can feel tight and sore from being overused. The muscles are tight and could benefit from gentle stretching, especially when they are warm from activity.

#2 Long and overused, but weak

Unbalanced posture creates unbalanced muscles. Some muscles will be short and tight. Others will be long for the counterweight, which creates a stiffness that feels like tightness. The computer posture is a great example. The muscles in the front of the chest are short and overused. The upper back and shoulders are overstretched and work in a compromised and weakened position. Isometric exercises, such as drawing the shoulder blades together and lowering them to shorten and strengthen the upper back muscles, are effective.

#3 Underused and weak

If a muscle is not used, it will atrophy and the surrounding connective tissue and fascia will become dense. In computer pose, several arm muscles fall into this category. Gradually increase strength through exercise to rebuild muscle health and the feeling of flexibility in the fascia. Exercises that use many muscles at once, such as knee-down curls or light weight bench presses, work better than machines that target individual muscles.

#4 tensioned

Muscles that are overused to the point of strain contract to protect themselves. That can come from exercising too much, gardening, or helping a friend get around. The first step in healing is rest. Ice, heat, or a combination can also help. Then gradually introduce exercise and stretching. It is important to go back into your usual routine and build up slowly to avoid additional stress.

#5 Trigger Points

Tension can create trigger points, as can structural imbalance, poor posture, and cold. These knots are often described as tightness. The best treatment is to warm up the muscle, press or massage the tender points, and then stretch.

#6 scar tissue

Muscles and connective tissue that have been damaged, either by sudden injury or ongoing microtrauma due to misalignment, repair themselves with stiff, inflexible scar tissue. Manual therapy such as deep tissue and cross-fiber friction massage is an effective treatment. Gentle stretching sometimes helps, but overstretching creates microtears in the connective tissue and even more scar tissue.

Manual therapists and exercise professionals must diagnose the source of the strain so that it can be properly addressed. For example, lengthening or stretching a long, overused muscle makes it even stiffer. For the client, becoming aware of what lies behind the feeling is an important tool for self-care, injury prevention, and personal growth.