Tensions - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

When the muscles are tight

Muscles in the neck and shoulders are often tense. The painful tensions arise when we stress too much muscle, for example, by a certain posture over a longer period of time.

contents

• When the muscles are tight
• How do muscles work??
• The central nervous system
• Causes of tense muscles
• Mental causes
• Injuries and pain
• Typical causes of tight muscles
• The wrong mattress
• The right mattress
• The wrong position
• gnashing of teeth
• A civilization problem
• symptoms
• Beware pain memory
• Which muscles are the most affected?
• What to do against tensions?
• Relaxation in the office
• Jogging, swimming, canoeing and dancing
• massages
• Other methods of treatment and prevention

How do muscles work??

With our muscles we move and keep the body upright. We consciously control some of them - for example on the limbs, face and upper body. The muscles of the internal organs, however, can not be controlled arbitrarily - for a good reason. If we forgot to tense the heart muscle and relax, we would get heart problems in a few minutes. In addition, it would simply not be possible to voluntarily control the organ muscles that are necessary for the circulation, metabolism, sexual functions and digestion.

The fine structure of the muscles consists of actin and myosin, which work against each other. When a muscle contracts, the opposing structures move into each other, the muscle now shortens and thickens. As the muscle relaxes, actin and myosin move apart again.

Everyone knows the radiant pain in tension of the neck muscles. (Image: detailblick-foto / fotolia.com)

The central nervous system

Our central nervous system in the brain and spinal cord relaxes or tenses your muscles. Nerves transmit the signals from the central nervous system to the muscles. These signals are electrical impulses that put the respective muscle in a basic voltage. The rhythm of the nerve signals changes the tension of the muscles.

Causes of tense muscles

The causes of muscle tension can vary depending on the muscle. With a tense neck, it is often in an inflexible position for a long time, for example, by working on the laptop. If we are wrong in sleep, it also causes muscle tension.

Mental causes

Frequently, the muscles are tense due to mental stress. Fear and stress are states of evolution in response to danger. They affect the brain signals as well as pain or incorrect posture. With strong anxiety and great stress the muscles become tense. When we feel safe, they relax.

When we are emotionally tense, it is equivalent to responding to a threat, such as a predator, as our ancestors experienced it. To escape this threat, the brain prepares the body for a power mode and increases the tension in the muscles. But muscle tension will continue if we are not physically responsive, as we would have done in our hunter-gatherer past. Through the tension, the muscle tissue is supplied with less blood, the products of the metabolism do not flow off and that presses on the pain receptors: It hurts.

Proper exercises help with existing tension and prevent new complaints. (Image: contrastwerkstatt / fotolia.com)

Injuries and pain

Pain is not only a result of muscle tension, but can also be its cause. When we feel pain, the muscles on the part of the body automatically contract to protect the body from further pain and injury. Optimally, this reaction is not - how much in evolution. The muscles on the spine react with blockages to complaints in the back. The muscles tighten and we reflexively take a posture to protect the aching body. But this restraint causes other muscles to contract, and so the tension pains expand.

Typical causes of tight muscles

The number one cause of muscle tension in today's human being is not enough movement, be it through work on the computer, be it through long journeys by car, or through television. Also in case of lack of exercise as a result of bed restraint in old and sick people muscle tension is guaranteed. Lack of exercise is often accompanied by a one-sided burden when we sit bent over the desk chair or carry heavy bags in his hand. The less the entire muscular system is trained, the faster muscles tense.

The wrong mattress

Often a false mattress in bed is the cause of muscle tension. If the mattress is too soft, the muscles on the body tighten permanently so we can lie comfortably. Too hard a mattress can lead to tension, because it forces the body in a certain attitude. This is the same problem as working in front of the curved back screen.

Sleeping on a false mattress can cause long-term discomfort. After all, we sleep a third of our time. If we now put the body in a faulty position during this entire phase, this inevitably overloads the muscles. The muscles do not get enough oxygen and harden. An ergonomic mattress adapted to the body helps to prevent these problems.

The right mattress

With a good mattress, you can distribute the body weight evenly on the surface. So the weight in the lateral position must not lie exclusively on shoulder and hip. Integrated lying areas support the body and relieve it.

The wrong position

If you sleep on your stomach, you overload the neck; If you sleep on your bent forearm, you overload your shoulders.

The wrong position when sleeping can lead to tension headaches. (Image: anon / fotolia.com)

gnashing of teeth

People who press their teeth together will not only rub them off and damage their dentures. They also ensure that the rows of teeth no longer fit together and the jaw joint works in a tilted position. The jaw muscles are tense. Special bite splints, individually prepared by the specialists, help here.

A civilization problem

Muscle tension developed in evolution from the reflex "hit or run" in the face of danger, hunting or confrontation with animals. The muscle tension was followed by the fast movement. Then they relaxed again. If this fighting or fleeing now disappears, the tension remains. Sitting at a desk does not correspond to the evolutionary functions of our body. Therefore, we should take breaks in the work in which we move, for example, up and down the stairs, take a train station on foot or do gymnastics in the office.

symptoms

A typical symptom of muscle tension is headache. There is even a term for it: tension headache. Here, the tension can be either cause or concomitant symptom. For example, stress often triggers tensing of the neck muscles and headaches at the same time.

Tense muscles have points that are particularly sensitive to stimuli. From these, the pain radiates into the environment. The pain of a tension is dull or tugging. For example, the pain of tight muscles in the neck area runs over the shoulders to the middle spine, but can also radiate to the arms and legs. The area where it hurts feels hard and numb. Muscle tension can be felt as a knot under the skin. Other symptoms that do not always occur include circulatory problems in the hands and feet, as well as attacks of dizziness.

Beware pain memory

Some muscle tensions contract over longer periods, be it due to illness or because of their cause. This is especially true for wrong sleeping positions or constant sitting. Pain is an important signal of the body. He not only indicates the problem area, but points to the healing: With a sore foot, we appear more cautious and spare him so.

The body also has a pain memory. When painful stimuli persist at one point, the brain becomes accustomed to the impulse and ejects it without the concrete trigger. It can be uncomfortable with a strain: it becomes chronic. The longer the pain lasts, the worse it gets, though nothing has changed in its cause. The nervous system is becoming ever more sensitive.

For stubborn tension, physiotherapy can be of great help. (Image: Ralf Geithe / fotolia.com)

Which muscles are the most affected?

Especially three muscles react to constant stress and bad stress: The shoulder blade lifter, the trapezius muscle and the upper bony muscle. The shoulder blade lifter is connected to the nerves in the back of the head. Therefore, tension on the scapula causes headaches - one of the most common tension symptoms. Almost every second person is affected at least once in their lives. The pain can also originate from the neck muscles, which can be determined by means of an electromyography.

What to do against tensions?

For severe pain you need a physiotherapy. Tense muscles can be easily intervened if the pain is not too great. For less serious problems, you can plan exercise in everyday life, it is best to do it regularly, but moderately sport, distributed throughout the week and not only occasionally but intensively. Due to irregular high-performance sport, you will instead ensure new muscle tension or make the existing symptoms worse.

Relaxation in the office

You can also use relaxation training in office work to relieve existing tension, or to prevent it from developing at all.

• Keep your head straight. This is strange, but relaxes the neck.
• Take breaks. If you work long hours on the computer, take at least five to ten minutes per hour to move, turn your neck, shake your arms and legs, climb stairs, or go to the baker if possible.
• Do not be pressured by either the task itself or the supervisor.
• Go to the colleagues instead of sending them mails.
• Set desk, worktop and laptop at eye level. Then the back stays straight.
• In between pull your shoulders up and let them fall again.
• Regularly put a heating pad or a hot water bottle on the back of the neck, which promotes blood circulation and relaxes the muscles.
• Do strength training - if you are already suffering from tension, specifically for these muscles.

At the computer workstation muscle tension occurs more often. The relaxation breaks should not be left out here. (Image: sebra / fotolia.com)

Jogging, swimming, canoeing and dancing

Jogging promotes blood circulation and relaxation of the neck muscles. Run easily without making a big effort. Swimming helps to prevent muscle tension in the neck, back and shoulders. The muscles are required, but at the same time spared, because fast movements under water are hardly possible. Canoeing is the best balance for computer work. The smooth movements with the paddles stress the muscles in the arms, shoulders, chest and back alike. For dancing a straight posture is elemental - ideally suited to prevent tension. They raise their heads, stretching their neck and whole body.

massages

Massages can solve existing tension. The application of heat also helps to relax the taut body parts.

Other methods of treatment and prevention

• Kneipp cures with warm or cold castings ensure a good circulation.
• Meditation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation solve stress.
• Ergonomic chairs with a springy backrest relieve the back.
• Yoga also ensures a good blood circulation in the muscles.

(Dr. Utz Anhalt)