How to Get Rid of Your Tight Muscles
"Help! I can't get rid of my tight muscles!"
Sound familiar?
I know I have certain muscles that consistently get tight and I'm sure most of you probably do as well. And no matter how much you stretch, they just don't seem to loosen up. So what can you do to get some relief from tight muscles?
Myofascial release! That is the breaking up of any adhesions that are formed between the muscle and the skin. Typically the adhesions are in the fascial layer, which is the connective tissue that lies over the muscles to reduce friction. A great way to do this at home is with a foam roller or Myofascial stick. You can purchase these at any major sporting goods store but if you don't want to buy anything, you can try a tennis ball or rolling pin to essentially do the same thing.
For example, if you have tightness in your calves, you can roll your calves out using one of these tools. If you want to use what you may already have, a rolling pin is great to just roll up and down the calf. Just a quick warning though, Myofascial release with one of these tools may feel uncomfortable if the fascia is really tight. As you do it more often and it loosens up, it becomes more tolerable and comfortable.
Another great use of a tennis ball is for those of you that get tightness in the muscles above your shoulder blade and neck. Place a tennis ball on that area then lie on it on the floor. Move around in small circles to help reduce tension in those muscles. Again, it's not always the easiest technique but it works! It might just take a little practice to get the hang of it.
Myofascial Decompression (AKA Cupping or Cup Therapy) is also a great tool to use for tight muscles! We use this on our patients at Revitalize Physical Therapy and get great results, quickly. Contact us if you want to try it for yourself.
So next time your muscles are feeling tight and sore, try one of these techniques to help reduce tension, loosen them up and reduce soreness. Give it some time because it won't be 100% after one time but with a few sessions of it, you should feel a big difference. If you want some help getting rid of your tight muscles and keeping them from coming back, contact us for your injury consultation.