What a pain!
Our second type of pain in this five part series is tension. Tension is the feeling of being pulled tight and is usually paired with compression. For example, if you tilt your head to one side, one side of your neck will be in tension, and the other will be in compression.
Muscle tension is very real, and yes, quite painful. Most muscle tension is developed from overuse, and not using proper stretching techniques. Imagine your muscles as a rubber band. If you use a rubber band that is at room temperature it has no problem stretching. If you use a rubber band that has been heated up, it is even more flexible! However, if you put a rubber band into a freezer, it will snap much sooner than the other rubber bands.
When you wake up in the morning, it is like your rubber bands ( or muscles) are just coming out of the freezer. As you walk around, and move about your day, they start to warm up and become a room temperature rubber band. Between these two points is where most tension injuries happen. This is when it is easy for the rubber band to snap.
Tension injuries can include anything from pulling a single muscle fiber, up to an Achilles tendon rupture. These injuries happen because your body expects a certain amount of strain, but it receives something different, and cannot compensate for the difference. This would be just like someone throwing you a ball that you think is filled with air, but instead it is filled with lead. The sudden change in weight can make your body use muscles it was not expecting to use. If during this change your muscles are properly warmed up, they can stretch, and are less likely to sustain injuries. However, if they are still "cold" you can experience painful injuries.
One way to prevent tension injuries is to stretch. Although static stretching is fine, I prefer dynamic stretching, as it warms up your muscles better. Here is a video from personal trainer Dan Holguin that shows proper dynamic stretching techniques. Not only are these great to do before exercising, they are also wonderful on a day to day basis to help loosen up stiff muscles.
If you have already experienced a tension injury here are some other tips to help you manage your pain and recover.
Tip 1: Take it easy.
Remember, most tension injuries are caused by overuse. So let your muscles take a break. If you continue to overuse the muscles that are injured, the injury will continue to get worse over time.
Tip 2: Trigger point work
Ask your massage therapist about trigger point work. Most muscle tension revolves around trigger points. If you can begin to release trigger points in your body, it will help relieve the tension in that area as well. You can also look into cupping and acupuncture which help release muscle tension as well.
Tip 3: Topical analgesics
For immediate pain relief opt for topical analgesics. These are natural alternatives to pain medication, and come with fewer side effects. These are also non-addictive and actually help in the healing process instead of simply covering up the pain. Some of these include BioFreeze, tiger balm, and arnicare.
Feel free to comment below, and also make sure to subscribe to Dan Holguin's youtube channel for more awesome fitness videos!
Dan Holguin Fitness
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