Localization of muscle hardening
Tension and muscle hardening in the back have become a widespread disease thanks to our mostly motionless everyday life. The reason for this is usually that we remain in one position at our desk, in front of the computer or in front of the television for hours on end.Without the right movement stimuli, the back muscles are weakened so that they are no longer able to keep our backs straight. When we try to ensure enough stability, the back muscles tense up.
Often such muscle hardening spreads quickly over larger parts of the back. Therapeutically, temporary painkillers, massages and heat treatments can help. In the long run, the hardening of the back muscles can only improve with sufficient movement and an appropriate sitting posture.
Especially on the back it is important to counteract the chronification of muscle hardening. Do you suffer from severe back pain? muscle hardening in the thigh typically occurs when you do sports without warming up or when you strain the muscles too much.
The hardening of the muscles in the thigh is typical for running sports, so footballers and handball players are often affected by the hardening. Usually the hardening of the muscles is on the inner side of the thigh or on the front, the back of the thigh is less frequently affected. In acute cases, careful stretching is usually the best therapeutic option to quickly release the tension.
In addition, acute cold can help against the pain. Later, the application of heat is often helpful to permanently release the hardening. Massage and fascia therapy are also suitable for hardened muscles in the thigh.
After a few days to weeks, a careful training can usually be started. Performance should only be increased if there are no more complaints. Muscle hardening in the calf occurs most frequently in sports with fast runs and changes of direction.
Sprinters and other athletics groups are often affected by hardening of the calf muscles. If the hardening is just beginning to form, rapid stretching may be able to stop the process. Nevertheless, the calf muscles should be given a break from sport and regenerated.
Along with the back, the neck is one of the most susceptible parts of the body to chronic muscle hardening. Sitting at a desk for long periods is also bad for the neck. Especially when there is already back pain, there is a reflex tensing of the neck muscles.
This leads to hardening in the long run. In the neck, the pain caused by the hardening of the muscles quickly spreads towards the head. This often leads to a vicious circle, because headaches make you sit even more tense.
In the long run, only sufficient exercise will help here too. In acute cases, a careful massage and a warm cherry stone cushion can alleviate the symptoms. As you could see in the text section, in connection with a muscle hardening in the neck, it can also lead to the so-called tension headaches.
Muscle hardening in the shoulder often also originates from the back. The tension in the back spreads not only to the neck but also to the shoulders, where it causes pain. Muscle tensions in the shoulder can also be acute, especially for throwing and strength athletes.
A sudden movement after a too short warm-up phase causes the muscles to contract strongly, then they cannot release the tension and muscle hardening occurs. Here too, stretching is helpful at first, followed by warmth, massage and possibly fascia therapy to relieve the symptoms. The shoulder is also a region that can be treated well with acupuncture.
If you have pain in your shoulder, feel a hardening, but are not sure if it is anything other than a hardening of the muscles, the following article might also be relevant for you: Pain in the shoulder – This is important to know! In the upper arms, muscle hardening is rarely chronic. Rather, they usually occur in the context of excessive or careless sporting activity.
Similar to the hardening of the muscles in the shoulders, throwing and strength athletes are also most frequently affected in the upper arms. To relax the hardening, heat therapy is usually recommended. This can also take the form of warm arm baths or cold-warm alternating baths.
In addition, a pain-relieving cream such as Volatren® can be used to alleviate the acute symptoms. The following articles may also be helpful for you:
- Upper arm pain – What do I have?
- Voltaren Pain Gel – You should keep this in mind when using it!
Between the shoulder blades, the muscle hardening usually starts from the back and the spine.Rarely does acute tension occur due to overstrain (as it could happen with gymnasts, for example). Here, too, a rather long-term oriented therapy is advisable, which consists mainly of preventive strengthening exercises and movements.
If the back muscles are strengthened, this can also improve muscle hardening between the shoulder blades. Do you have pain in the area of the shoulder blade, would you like to know the cause and possibly perform exercises to strengthen the muscles? Learn more about these steps under:
- Pain between the shoulder blades – These are the causes
- Back training – tips for a strong, healthy back
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