Pain relief for tense muscles

Pain relief for tense muscles

Many people experience discomfort from chronically tight muscles in the lower back and/or neck and upper back. It is not normal for muscles to be constantly tense. This article explains why muscles are tense and how to achieve relief from this type of muscle pain.

As a practicing chiropractor for over 35 years, I have heard many patients describe neck, back or lower back pain as constant tightness, tightness, stiffness or spasms in their muscles. Let's discuss muscle function in terms of what is normal and abnormal.

We all know that muscles attach to bones. When muscles contract, they move our bones through a specific range of motion. We also know that when we overuse our muscles, they can become sore and experience some degree of cramping. The cramp can be mild or severe. Typically, this type of muscle tension eases over several days as the body heals itself. I tell patients that if their muscles are sore and tight after excessive use, they will likely diminish and resolve within 24 to 72 hours. This is normal muscle healing.

However, others describe muscles that are constantly in some degree of tension and stiffness. It can sometimes get worse and then lessons, but it never goes away. This is a sign that something is wrong and needs to be checked.

I remember a patient who was a professional baseball pitcher visiting me. He had just joined the team in the city where I live. His complaint was that he had persistent tightness and tightness of the muscles in his upper back. This affected his ability to throw normally. I asked him what he had done previously to help with the problem. He said his team's trainers gave him massages and helped him with a stretching routine. He said it gave him temporary relief but didn't completely solve the problem. When I examined him, I found that he actually had spasms of the back muscles of the neck and upper back. However, the reason for this was that he had a deeper problem. My examination revealed that he had misalignments in the spinal bones of his neck and upper back. His muscles were tense and cramped, trying to stabilize the deeper misalignment of his spine so he wouldn't injure himself further.

My muscles were chronically tense and cramped as they tried to protect the deeper spinal misalignments. I said that although we don't want our muscles to be tense and sore, we must respect that they protect us from the condition getting worse.

I treated him using chiropractic spinal adjustments to correct the misalignments of the spinal bones of the neck and upper back. After his first treatment, he immediately felt the muscle tension loosen and relax. He said, “Wow, they never did that for me in the trainer’s room!” I responded by letting him know that chiropractors are the preeminent healthcare providers when it comes to correcting spinal misalignments through chiropractic adjustments and manipulation. It took several more treatments for his muscles to fully relax so he could hit normally again.

Most people who go to a chiropractor find that a chiropractic adjustment is a pleasant experience because it helps relieve muscle tension. The number of visits a patient needs to achieve pain relief from their tight muscles depends on how long they have had the condition and how severe it is.

In summary, tight and painful muscles should heal after a few days of rest. This is completely normal. However, if the muscles are tense, stiff, or spasmodic and cause chronic pain, it is most likely due to a deeper misalignment of the spine. If this is the case, it is advisable to seek safe, gentle chiropractic care for muscle pain relief.

Inspired by James Schofield