Muscle tension - the cause of many problems, treated by massage

                Sometimes we are subconsciously afraid to express our feelings in a natural way and this is a reaction of our early childhood. If you go back to the past and remember how your parents reacted to your uncontrolled emotional outbursts. They probably found them unappropriate and their reaction was a cold look, a threat or even a slap. All children are susceptible to “training” and you have trained your defensive reaction – to hide your feelings, which leads to stress. This stress is hardly noticeable, yet it exists.

                Repressing one’s feelings is a voluntary reaction which has become a habit nowadays. In fact each manifestation of stress is related to tension in the muscles. Emotions accumulate in our body under the form of muscle tension and this is the main reason for headaches, aches in the back and so on. Our muscles contract and this stops the flow of energy. It feels like a river – there are sections in which water runs faster and others where it is calmer. We all know that there shouldn’t be any obstacles, because the river would overflow. People should express their feelings freely, not repress them until they cannot be controlled.

                Muscle tension can often be found in the basis of the skull, the trapezius muscles, the scapulas and the muscles around the spine. The normal muscle tissue should be soft and flexible. Sometimes, however, I encounter people whose whole body is hard. Usually this is the result of weak, but continuous tension in the body. Generally, when the muscles are strained for a long time, there can be internal changes in their structure. The muscles start filling up with connective tissue – fibrous tissue, which connects our organs. The result is that our muscles become harder and the only thing that can release this pressure is regular massage. This pressure has been accumulating for years and a long and careful treatment will be needed in order for the patient to free himself from it and get back to his normal condition.

                Another matter, which should be taken into account when talking about muscle tension, is the posture. The correct, erect posture puts the body into a position, which requires least energy and muscle tension against gravity. If the posture is incorrect, the consumption of energy increases because of the contraction of the muscles that hold the body erect.

                The muscles are made up of parallel fibres. The ends of these fibres are called ‘ligaments’ and are attached to the bones. When a muscle contracts, it attracts one bone to another and this way it causes movement. This explains how feelings influence our posture. When you are under stress, it causes tension and when this tension increases, the posture changes under the effects of the contracting muscles. In the beginning these changes are impalpable but they gradually accumulate and the result is a poor posture and increased muscle tension. We adopt our postures unconsciously and this can lead to increased muscle tension. When we repress our feelings, we change our posture which increases the muscle tension and causes spasms and pain. One of the best ways to overcome this is regular massage and exercises.

                This, however, may not be the only reason for pain. There are other sources of pain which we all know very well. When actively start to use a muscle, which has not been under much pressure for a long time, pain appears. Often people don’t have a lot physical activity during the week and at weekends they enthusiastically start practicing some sport. The pain on Monday morning is a response of the human body to the disturbed equilibrium. Any change in physical activity, like taking up a sport, has to be done gradually and carefully and has to be combined with recreational and relaxing massages.