Muscle tension is usually hidden away until you sit down for a massage and you realize that you’ve been stiff for months now. Sometimes people get painful muscle knots or develop some other musculoskeletal condition and realize it then, but most times it’s undetectable even to you.
This tension could be affecting you in ways that you don’t even realize and this is a common symptom of stress.
Why The Body Ignores Muscle Stiffness
A lot of us don’t recognize tense and stiff muscles because they don’t actively get in the way of our physical performance. It’s a mild form of pain that we almost unconsciously relegate to the back of our minds and which often recedes on its own.
Many people just continue living with the pain, without seeking treatment for it because you can just continue performing normally even while you feel it. However, it’s still a physical sensation that can contribute to chronic stress and can exacerbate your discomfort to severely compromise your well-being.
Often muscle tension also presents without pain and this is always a sign that there’s stress you’re carrying around which maybe massage therapy can help release.
Commonly Affected Muscle Groups
There are 3 muscle groups that are the most likely to develop stiffness and tension, especially if you sit all day at your desk-job. These are:
Pectoralis Muscles
Often as we sit, we tend to slouch as we focus on something right in front of us. This causes the pectoral muscles to shorten. If you continue sitting that way for long periods of time, you’ll feel a lot of discomfort in this muscle group because these will become used to the contraction. As such, these will also become stiffer more often since they aren’t used to normal activity.
Hip Flexors
Sitting for long periods of time forces your hip muscles to flex and therefore, shorten. This is why when you get up you feel a slight discomfort in your pelvic region as these muscles stretch out to normal length.
Back Muscles
Slouching on your seat or sitting for long periods of time puts a fair bit of pressure on your back muscles which can cause back pain. These muscles are attached to some of the largest muscles across the body like those in the abdomen and lateral muscles. The excessive strain on your back could cause this stiffness to extend across the body.
Visit Soul2Sole Massage Therapy and Wellness Studio to work out all the tension in your muscles. We offer the best deep tissue massage in Edmonton. We also provide a variety of massages like sports massage, Thai massage, and hot stone massage. Our prices start at only $30! Book one today!
