Muscle Tension: Function, Tasks, Role & Diseases

Muscle tension refers to the state of tension in the muscles, also called “tone”. This is caused by the stimuli of the nervous system and the elasticity of the tissue. Muscle tension can be divided into active and passive, and this process is always the opposing force to the force of the stretching weight. The interaction between the active and passive states have effects on, for example, the overall posture and the stretch-shortening cycle. If muscle tone becomes painful, tension is present, often associated with poor posture, triggered by stress or by other factors.

What is muscle tone?

Muscle tension refers to the state of tension in the muscles, also called “tone”. Muscle is a contractile organ that sets the entire organism in motion by contracting and relaxing external and internal structures. Because of this physical process, locomotion is possible at all, as is the function of individual organs. Without muscle tension, man would not even be able to maintain his everyday posture. Neither sitting nor standing, let alone walking would be possible. Muscle contraction is a mechanical process triggered by nerve impulses. Looked at very closely, various protein molecules shift into each other in the process. As soon as the nerves stop impulsing the muscle, it slackens again. Basically, the muscles are initially in a so-called resting tone. This means that muscles have an inherent tension despite resting, as well as a resistance to external stimuli. Accordingly, the resting muscle is basically exposed to force and tension. This is contrasted with active tonus, which is triggered by contractions. This tension can also be measured. This is done by electromyography, a neurological method of investigating muscle activity. Concentric needle electrodes are used to derive the potential fluctuations of the motor units, record individual muscle fibers, and record the actual action potential (the electrical activity of a contracting muscle). Measurement is also feasible through the skin using surface electrodes, but this is somewhat less accurate.

Function and purpose

In medicine, a distinction is made between the active and passive tension of muscles. Material properties, the anatomical tissue structure and position, likewise the composition of the muscle fibers play a role in determining passive tone, in addition to the filling state of the intracellular and extracellular fluid voids. Oxygen supply, temperature and blood flow, the degree of fatigue and the type of stress on the muscles also have an influence. Muscle tension in skeletal muscle is produced by contraction of individual muscle fibers. This maintains a level of tension even when the muscles are at rest. The situation is different for smooth muscle cells, which contract permanently and cause constant muscle tension. Muscle tension at rest therefore refers to the force with which muscles counteract an applied force. The whole thing is controlled by chamfers of the reflex arches on the muscle, which in turn are neural processes that trigger a body reflex, i.e., muscle tension.

Diseases and ailments

Measurement by electromyography is necessary to check muscle tension in a person, which may be increased or decreased, as it exerts a great influence on various areas in the organism, as well as on the brain, activity and emotions. It is not uncommon to experience discomfort in the form of pain, spasm, tension or muscle weakness. There are numerous triggers for this, which can be more or less harmless but also of a more serious nature. Muscle tension can lead to increased pain, for example in the spinal cord. Back pain, in particular, is a major burden in everyday life and can sometimes occur due to the smallest stimuli that have no apparent cause. Most often, increased muscle tension is associated with hectic activity, stress, lack of exercise or incorrect posture. Whenever the body is exposed to a stressful situation, it reacts with certain stress reactions, which initially make sense because the body is supplied with energy. The muscles have numerous tasks and therefore also require a lot of energy. During active movements, the energy requirement increases many times over.Heat is a by-product of muscle energy turnover, so body heat also plays a role in muscle tension. During prolonged stress, the muscles remain under constant strain and tension, the blood vessels are dilated, breathing occurs more shallowly, the heart beats faster, muscle tone increases enormously. Not only the back, but also the neck and shoulders are affected. If the increased muscle tension does not subside, tension occurs, causing pain. A person’s ability to pay attention is also related to muscle tension. In order to perceive people, the environment and oneself at the same time, muscles must release and tense. Since they are located between the skin and the bones, between the inner and outer areas of the body, so to speak, the world of sensation also depends on them and determines the relationship between outer and inner conditions, thus making sensation and the ability to pay attention possible in the first place in this way. In fact, muscle tension also affects the emotions of the person. When the muscles harden, the person feels tense. This tension leads to stress and even creates anxiety, as events and situations can no longer be reacted to in a relaxed and calm manner. When the tension is higher, breathing is shallower, the brain and the whole organism have to manage with less oxygen. Relaxing the muscles helps against this, for which there are several methods, including the progressive relaxation technique according to Edmund Jacobsen. A lot of exercise, conscious and deep breathing or a hot bath are also sufficient to reduce the increased muscle tension again and thus be able to build up more inner peace.