Why are my muscles so tight?
Common Question:
No matter how much I stretch, I can’t seem to get more flexible. My muscles feel tight the next day… Why are my muscles so tight!?
There are a lot of reasons why your muscles are tight; this blog will help you if you’re trying to find the reason why your muscles are tight even with regular stretching.
This information might be for you if:
You’ve already tried chiropractic, massage or other physiotherapists with no lasting change
You’ve tried every single modality available: moist heat, ultrasound, laser, acupuncture, acupuncture with electricity – but had no real change
You stretch every single day and find that it doesn’t help muscle tightness
What does a tight muscle feel like?
The hamstrings (pictured above) can be a common culprit for tight muscles.
Either the entire muscle or a part of it feels really tense at rest
When you move, you feel tension increase in your muscle
When you stretch that muscle, you feel tension come on earlier compared to the other side
You can find some tender spots if you press along the tight muscle
Here are some reasons why your muscles might be tight even with stretching:
Weak Muscles
It sounds counterintuitive but there is good research that supports strengthening to lengthen your muscles. Depending on which muscle is tight, your physiotherapist can provide you with the right exercises to help improve your flexibility.
Neuropathic Muscles
Nerves can often get compressed at your spine causing tight muscles. Specific nerves in your neck will affect a certain muscle in your arms or legs causing tight bands known as trigger points. You may have heard this term before, but they almost feel like a really tender spot along the muscle. When you apply pressure it hurts, but afterwards it feels great. This could explain why after massaging trigger points that they just come back!
Your Joints Need More Movement
Depending on where you are experiencing tightness, the joints near the area may also need more mobility. With certain stretches you may be stretching the underlying joint capsule as well as the muscle. A joint capsule is a network of dense fibrous tissue that surrounds the joint. Your physiotherapist will be able to determine whether your issue is more muscular, capsular, or both.
The tight muscle is a result of unaddressed muscle imbalances
One thing to consider is that the muscle that keeps getting tight is compensating for a weaker muscle somewhere else in the body. Muscles will work together to help us move, but sometimes one muscle can get weak from a prior injury, or a repetitive task can emphasize one muscle over the others. This can result in tightness or pain later if there is continuous overuse of the same muscle.
So can I still stretch?
There is some debate on whether stretching is the only way to improve flexibility. There is some research that supports it while others say strengthening is better. It all really depends on the root cause of your tightness. Some stretches may help and others might make it worse. It’s important to seek help from a trained professional to help you truly understand your injury.
Runner experiencing calf pain from tight muscles
So what’s the solution for tight muscles?
It all depends on your situation and what the possible source of your tightness could be:
Is the muscle weak?
Could it be a pinched nerve?
Are your joints moving well?
Is it due to compensation from other weak muscles?
This can all be determined with a thorough assessment and a better understanding of your injury by a skilled physiotherapist.
At Break Free Physiotherapy and Wellness in London Ontario, we are trained to find the source of your injury. This is done through careful analysis of your history and how you move in clinic. We will safely test certain movements to see if they are right for you. This is all to build understanding over your injury to get to the root cause and return to doing things you love.
If this sounds like something you’re interested in, book an appointment with our physiotherapists today!
