Relieving Muscle Tension (Effective Ways That You Can Easily Do)

Muscle tension (myalgia) refers to the condition where some parts of the body are contracted for a period of time. The causes may differ but the root cause is stress which commonly results in back pain. In this article, we are going to discuss different ways of relieving muscle tension, how it takes place, and what are the best ways to prevent it from happening. You can relieve your muscle tension if you relax with some massage from time to time.

 

What Causes Muscle Tension

Technically, muscle tension is caused by stress. When the body is stressed, the nervous system gets affected as the blood flow in its blood vessels gets restricted. If this happens, the soft tissues, muscles, tendons, and nerves will not receive enough blood supply. After this, there will be a significant decrease in oxygen that ends up in muscle tension, back pain, and spasm.

People can typically identify the cause of their muscle tension, however, it takes place due to the following:

• stress in one or many areas in the body
• overused muscle during a physical activity
• injured muscle
• not warming up before exercising
• lack of stretching

 

For some people, muscle tension occurs because of their medical condition. Myalgia can also take place because of the following conditions:

• chronic fatigue syndrome
• dehydration
• dystonia
• claudication
• lupus
• Lyme disease
• myofascial pain syndrome
• rheumatoid arthritis
• pinched nerves
• fibromyalgia
• autoimmune diseases
• drug use
• issues in thyroid
• hypokalemia
• infections

 

Relieving Muscle Tension at Home

Muscle tension typically does not need surgical procedures and can be easily relieved at home. Some of the home remedies that you can try are as follows:

• rest the affected area
• take a pain reliever from over the counter
• put ice on the tensed area to reduce the pain and manage inflammation (use ice for the first 3 days of the pain and use a hot compress on the 4th day onward)

 

Other methods in relieving muscle tension also include:

• Muscle stretching- it’s much better to do this every day to prevent muscle tension from developing.
• Avoid high-intensity physical activities until the muscle tension is relieved.
• Do not lift heavy equipment until the pain goes away.
• Take plenty of rest
• Relieve the tension by performing yoga and meditation.
• Losen up. Breath in and out while stretching your arms and neck. do this from time to time every day.
• Opt for a massage. Nothing beats a relaxing massage to relieve muscle pain. Do not forget to inform the therapist about your muscle tension so they can target the areas that need to be relieved. You will definitely feel better and lighter after this.
• Soak it away. Soaking in a hot bath is a well-known method that’s been used for a long period of time. Just prepare hot water in a tub and soak your whole body in it.

 

Stretches For Tension

Sometimes, muscle tension can be easily relieved with simple stretches. Here are some of the easy to follow stretches for your whole body:

Back. Lay on your back, pull your knees into your chest until you look like a curled ball. If you can, roll back and forth.

Neck and Shoulders. Sit either on the floor or on a chair, make yourself comfortable, place one hand on top of your head and tilt it for a few seconds, repeat on the other side.

Hands and Wrists. Hold out your arm and bend your fingers down as well as your entire hand. Gently pressure when you do so.

Leg stretch. Stand straight and bend your waist, stretch your arm as you do this and try to reach the floor with your fingers. Don’t forget to apply pressure on your muscles as you do this stretch.

Hips. Lay down and place your hands behind your knees. Keep one of your legs on the ground and place the other one over the ankle. Hold the position for a few seconds and gently apply pressure.

 

Muscle Tension Relief Kit

If muscle pain is something that happens to you most of the time, it’s better to have your own relieving kit at home all the time. This may include:

• pain relief medicines like ibuprofen
• ice packs
• hot compress
• stretching materials
• yoga and meditation necessities

 

When To See A Doctor

If the home remedies did not work, your muscle tension is probably in need of medical attention. This could indicate that you have a severe injury or that your body is in serious trouble. Set an appointment with your doctor if:

1. the pain persists despite your efforts to relieve it at home
2. extreme pain occurs without probable cause
3. rashes start to emerge alongside the pain
4. tick bite caused the muscle tension
5. swelling and redness starts to emerge
6. the pain is caused by medication
7. pain that takes place after changes in temperature

 

The following symptoms indicate immediate medical attention and can be deemed as an emergency. Go to the hospital right away if you are experiencing the following:

1. noticeable decrease in urine
2. trouble swallowing
3. high fever accompanied by vomiting
4. difficulty breathing
5. stiffness of the neck
6. weak muscles
7. inability to move the affected area

 

The treatment will conclude depending on the status of the affected area. Your doctor will first determine the root cause of the muscle tension. To come up with accurate results, you might undergo the following:

• Blood tests- to help your doctor check for muscle damages and underlying autoimmune diseases.
• MRI and CT scans- these are used to see if the patient has bone abnormalities.
• Electromyogram- doctors use this to know if your nerves and muscles are working properly.
• Ultrasound- a test used by doctors to check if tears and inflammation are present in the muscle fibers.

 

Preventing Muscle Tension

Muscle tension is typically caused by activities. If you are experiencing muscle pain after your workouts and activities, you might want to follow these tips to prevent muscle pain:

• always stretch and warm-up before engaging in a physical activity
• after exercising, allow your body to cool down
• keep yourself hydrated, water is a natural healer that our body needs, make sure to drink plenty of it especially when you’re active
• perform light exercises to keep the muscles toned
• if your work requires you to stay seated for a long period of time, be sure to get up and stretch from time to time to avoid strain and stress.