Many people have pain due to persistently stiff muscles in their lower back, neck, and upper back. Muscles that are always tense are abnormal. This post will go over why muscles tighten and get rid of this sort of muscular discomfort. As a chiropractor with over 35 years of experience, I’ve heard many patients characterize their neck, upper back, or low back discomfort as muscular tightness, tension, stiffness, or spasms. Let’s look at what constitutes normal and pathological muscle function. Muscles attach to bones, as we all know. Muscle contractions cause our bones to move across a range of motion. We also know that overusing our muscles may cause them to get painful and spasm to some degree. The spasm may be moderate or severe. This sort of muscular stiffness usually goes away within a few days as the body recovers. If a patient’s muscles are uncomfortable and tight from overuse, I inform them that it will likely go away in 24-72 hours. Muscles usually recover in this way.
Others, on the other hand, talk about muscles that are constantly tense and rigid. It may deteriorate at times and then improve, but it never completely vanishes. This is an indication that something is wrong and should be investigated. I recall a patient who had come to see me because he was a professional baseball pitcher. In the city where I reside, he had recently joined the team. His main complaint was that the muscles in his upper back were constantly tense and stiff. This was messing with his regular pitching abilities. I inquired as to what he had done before to assist with the issue. He said that he had his team’s trainers massage him and assist him with a stretching regimen. He said that it provided him with some short-term relief but did not entirely address his condition. When I checked him, I discovered that he had spasms in his neck and upper back spinal muscles. However, this was happening because he was dealing with a more severe issue. My examination indicated that his neck and upper back spinal bones were misaligned. His muscles were tense and spamming as they tried to fix the more profound spinal misalignment so he wouldn’t injure himself more.
Because they were trying to prevent the underlying spinal misalignment, my muscles were continuously tense and in spasm. While we don’t enjoy it when our muscles are tight and uncomfortable, we must recognize that they protect us from worsening disease. I treated him with chiropractic spinal adjustments to address the misalignment’s in his neck and upper back spinal bones. He felt the muscular tightness release and relax almost immediately after his first session. “Wow, they never performed that for me in the trainer’s room!” he exclaimed. I informed him that chiropractors are the leading healthcare providers for spinal misalignment correction using chiropractic adjustment and manipulation. It took a few more sessions for his muscles to relax, allowing him to resume regular throwing. Most people who see a chiropractor believe that getting a chiropractic adjustment is a pleasant experience since it relieves muscular tension. The number of visits a patient needs to get pain relief from tight muscles is determined by how long they’ve had the disease and how severe it is.
Conclusion
After a few days of rest, tight and aching muscles should recover. This is very normal behavior. Muscles that are tight, stiff, or in spasm that cause persistent discomfort are most often the result of a more profound spinal imbalance. If this is the case, seeking safe, gentle chiropractic therapy for muscle pain alleviation is a good idea.