muscle tightness

Muscle hardening is referred to in medicine as myogelosis. The term describes a mostly bean-sized, clearly circumscribed, palpable, local change in the muscles. Myogelosis is often "painful to the touch". The term Muscle Harness is used in medicine for a circumscribed, increased state of tension of the muscles.

contents

causes
symptoms
therapy

causes

The cause of muscle hardening or myogelosis are metabolic changes due to overloading or prolonged stress on the muscles. Rarely, the inflammation of a muscle is the trigger of muscle hardening. Psychological factors are also to be mentioned.

The musculature can harden due to different causes. Often an excessive load triggers the discomfort. (Image: drubig-photo / fotolia.com)

Excessive or prolonged stress on the muscles leads to vascular compression and thus poor blood supply to the affected muscles. The metabolism of the muscle cells is disturbed. As a result, the cells absorb less oxygen and metabolites are degraded worse. Swelling occurs and the muscle tone (tone) of the muscle fibers increases - the muscle hardens.

On the other hand, in the case of muscle tension, the cause is a reflex response to a stimulus, as can be observed, for example, in the increase in abdominal muscle tension in stomach problems. In addition, incorrect postures or injuries can lead to a "reflex-like" muscle harness.

symptoms

Symptoms of muscle hardening
In the case of muscle hardening, a nodular or bead-like hardening is to be felt. In most cases, the person concerned first reports an increased feeling of tightness of the musculature in a certain body region. Later, a "pressure sensitivity" with pain during tensing and loss of strength of the affected muscles can be observed. Muscles are most frequently affected, whose task is to take a posture against gravity and maintain it over a long period of time, such as the neck and back muscles. Especially in athletes a muscle hardening can occur even after a spasm or a strong stretch. If the muscle reacts frequently with muscle hardening, this increases the risk of suffering a torn muscle or a strain.

Symptoms in a muscle harness
On the other hand, a dull, oppressive persistent pain, which intensifies when certain postures are taken, is symptomatic of muscle tension.

therapy

The muscle hardening can be treated with a number of different measures. The aim of the therapy should be the restoration of painless mobility and function. If no cause of inflammation has been identified, physical measures such as special massage techniques, heat therapy (e.g., packs, sauna, red light) and stretching may be appropriate. Electro- or hydrotherapy is often used to loosen the affected muscle fibers.

A frequent application in the treatment of muscle hardening is the so-called trigger point treatment. In addition to the prophylactic effect of this technique on unphysiologically loaded muscles, it is also used to deactivate permanently stressed muscle fibers. The affected muscle is treated selectively at certain points. The possibilities of trigger point therapy range from special physiotherapeutic treatment techniques via needles with acupuncture needles and shock wave therapy to the targeted injection of a local anesthetic into the trigger point. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) extends the possibilities of treating muscle hardening with a variety of techniques. It is probably the most common acupuncture.

If inflammation is the cause of muscle hardening, medical therapy is in the foreground. Basically, it should be noted that the muscle hardening is a symptom, which usually suggests a functional disorder. Due to numerous factors that affect the muscles, it is often difficult to pinpoint the source of the disorder. However, finding and treating the cause is essential to relieve the symptoms. (Philipp Schulz, physiotherapist)