Muscle tension

What is muscle tension?

Muscular tension refers to the condition where one or more muscles remains semi-contracted for a prolonged period. This causes small lumps or “muscle knots” which you can feel by touching the affected area. When the body is stressed, muscles tense up. Muscle tension is almost a reflex reaction to stress—the body’s way of guarding against injury and pain. Our bodies are well equipped to handle stress in small doses, but when that stress becomes long-term or chronic, it can have serious effects on your body.

Muscle tension and strain

This is usually from activities and behaviours such as:

• poor posture
• working at a desk for too long without changing position
• sleeping with your neck in a bad position
• jerking your neck during exercise                                          

For example, both tension-type headache and migraine headache are associated with chronic muscle tension in the area of the shoulders, neck and head.

One way to relieve muscle tension is to do progressive muscle relaxation, also known as Jacobson’s relaxation technique. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a form of therapy that involves tightening and relaxing your muscle groups, one at a time, in a specific pattern. PMR was created by American physician Edmund Jacobson in the 1920s. It was based on the theory that physical relaxation can promote mental relaxation.  Changing your sleeping position and using our wooden pillow by Unusually Usual typically would be enough to relieve some of your muscle tension symptoms particularly.