Causes of Tight Muscles, Muscle Tightness, Ways to Loosen Tight Hamstrings
Do you suffer from muscle tightness? Muscle tightness is a form of hypertonicity. Hypertonicity means increased muscle tension.
When your muscle is tight, its tone is abnormally rigid, which hampers fluid movement. So, due to excessive tonus, your muscles are in a continuous shortened state.
Tight hamstrings is one of the most common complaints involving muscle tightness. When your hamstrings are tight, then you’re more prone to hamstring muscle tears. And tight hamstrings can also cause lower back pain because their tightness pulls your pelvis out of its proper position.
Muscle tightness may be caused by:
- stress
- overuse
- scar tissue
- inflexibility
- repetitive motion
- muscle weakness
- muscle imbalance
- not enough stretching
- postural stress, bad posture
- inadequate neuromuscular efficiency
Other causes for your muscles to be tight may involve certain health related situations, such as:
- polymysitis
- fibromyalgia
- osteoarthritis
- hypothyroidism
- rheumatoid arthritis
- genetics ~ born with naturally shorter muscles
- puberty growth spurt ~ bones grow more rapidly than muscle
- lower back problems ~ puts pressure on sciatic nerve causing muscles to tighten
- spasticity ~ CNS disorder marked by a high degree of muscle tightness, or hypertonia
Some drug side effects can cause tight muscles, like:
- botox
- modafinil ~ for narcolepsy
- acitretin ~ severe psoriasis
- interferon beta-1a ~ multiple sclerosis
- estrogen ~ hormone replacement therapy
One of the best ways for loosening tight muscles is having a sports massage. Just be sure your chosen masseuse is familiar with hypertonocity because there are specific ways a tight muscle should be worked to loosen it up.
Couple other ways to loosen tight muscles is (no bounce) stretching, strengthening and heat. Heat is not only comforting, but it assists in pliability for a looser feeling muscle.
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Filed under: Muscle
