CHRONIC TIGHTNESS
Tightness is one of the most important factors influencing our health. Tightness creates problems for us, whether caused by inactivity, fear, anxiety, depression, cold, change or any of the other myriad elements that result in muscle and joint contraction. Some tightness is temporary. Some comes from years of ingrained habit, profoundly difficult to address because of the depth of the tension and the embedded reactions to it. It is this latter type of tension that is being discussed here.
Where does chronic tension accumulate most in the body?
- Shoulders/Chest/Neck: The most common reaction to tension by far is to hike up the shoulders and tighten the chest resulting in shortening the back of the neck. It is a response to change, challenge, fear and so many other things, computer use among them. Ultimately it often becomes a permanent part of our condition.
- Legs: Hamstrings and calf muscles: The muscles on the back of the legs get very tight for paradoxically different reasons. Too much walking without stretching shortens and tightens these muscles as does extended sitting. Both can result in cramping of the legs and feet.
- Knees: Our knee joints automatically stiffen under various circumstances as when we stand for a long time or when we have difficulty walking. We unconsciously lock our knees all the time. We are just not aware of it. Nor are we aware of the consequences. Stiff knees cause problems more extensive than we might expect, specifically impeding balance.
- Feet: Our toes in particular stiffen up as we are older and less active. We stop being able to bend our toes back. We walk as if our feet are blocks, without articulation.
- Ankles: We loose mobility in our ankles from not exercising them. We stop being able to circle them easily. Stiff ankles cause real risk because of loss of ability to adjust to abruptly changing circumstances, like when someone bumps into you and you have to quickly move to the side.
Why is persistent tension so bad for us?
Tightness inhabits both joints and muscles.
Joints lose range of motion. Muscles contract.
Joints lose range of motion. Muscles contract.
When a muscle tightens it is in a condensed state: The muscle itself actually shortens, hardens and broadens (verses lengthening as when stretched). The shortening can cause other parts of the body to pull out of position as when muscle cramps cause the lower back to seize. If the leg muscles are not stretched, muscle spasms result, usually in the legs and/or feet and often at night.
When a joint tightens, it looses ability to move (range of motion). Surrounding musculature tightens as well. This causes congestion which in turn reduces circulation and nervous system communication through the joint.
Balance is significantly affected, especially with joint and muscle tightness in the legs. The slower response of the nervous system also affects our sense of proprioception: peripheral awareness. This appreciably affects balance negatively.
When a joint tightens, it looses ability to move (range of motion). Surrounding musculature tightens as well. This causes congestion which in turn reduces circulation and nervous system communication through the joint.
Balance is significantly affected, especially with joint and muscle tightness in the legs. The slower response of the nervous system also affects our sense of proprioception: peripheral awareness. This appreciably affects balance negatively.
Persistent tightness means that your body has reduced circulation which in turn causes health to deteriorate more quickly as we age.
How the body tightens the wrong way:
The automatic response of the body to challenge is not necessarily good for it: Fear and anxiety for instance causes the rib cage, shoulders and neck to contract. If you are in the midst of a challenge, that is the exactly the wrong reaction. Tightening the chest lifts the center of gravity, making our balance wobbly. It also makes our breathing shallow which in turn cuts oxygen to the brain, negatively affecting how well we think in a crisis. When afraid, a far better physical reaction is to contract the abdominal wall, solidifying our strength and lowering our center of gravity.
Old injuries often result in tightened musculature in the area affected that gets imbedded deeply. (This is one reason for participating in physical therapy at the time of the injury. The more you follow the home program in particular, the more the area is restored to health. Otherwise loss of movement ability can result in the area stiffening and causing problems for years to come.)
Leg tightness also puts undue pressure on the lower spine: If the leg joints are stiff they are less available to help adjust to the stresses of daily life. Adaption is therefore misdirected into the lower back instead, a far more vulnerable area, resulting in spine overuse. This is the source of many back problems.
Steps to take to reduce chronic tension, listed in order of how easily they are to incorporate into our lives:
For the refrigerator:
- Circle your ankles every day: Try to really make circles, especially if it is hard to. If your ankles are stiff you may have to work hard on this. It takes concentration and focus to remedy. Manipulating your foot with your hands will help ease the stiff parts.
- Stretch the back of each of your legs every night: Hold the stretches for 30 seconds. There are seated and standing versions. The standing version is the Runner's Stretch.
- Stretch the joints at the base of the toes: This can be done seated or standing. Use shoes that are flexible enough to be able to pull your toes back 90 degrees.
- Circle your knees: Whenever you feel any kind of stress or unpleasantness, check your knees to see if they are locked. Circling your knees is the best remedy and can be done anytime, anywhere.
- Learn to release the tension of the upper body: This is the most complex and challenging of the actions we can take. There are several body parts involved and each requires individual attention: the shoulders, the neck, the front of the chest. See below for specific steps to take. However, the simplest route to breaking up persistent chest tension is to perform breathing exercises daily.
Relieving upper body tightness: One of our challenges is that shoulder tightness returns even after extensive stretching. It is part of the human condition and how we react to life. As the tension reappears, we have the choice to redirect it. Eventually this becomes easier and easier to do, ultimately becoming automatic.
Here's a great tip:
Every time your shoulders hike up, pull your belly in instead.
Steps to release tension in the upper body:
- Do 5 minutes of breath exercises a day: If you do this at the beginning of your workout, the benefits will be even greater.
- Stretch the front of the rib cage: Stretch the muscles around the sternum by lifting the chest.
- Increase the strength of the upper back: Substitute contraction of the shoulders/neck/chest with contraction of the upper back muscles, the muscles that pull the shoulder blades down and together.
- Stretch the back of the neck: This is the most consequential and sometimes difficult of all. Chronic neck tightness is common. There are a number of neck exercises that help. In general, bring your head back, gently tucking your chin.
Other Articles of Interest
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The unconscious effects of inactivity.
Stress reduction techniques. How to reduce neck stress Relieving chronic tension in the shoulders. |
Published January 16, 2023.