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Muscle contractures, what are they and how can I avoid them?

Muscle contractures, what are they and how can I avoid them?

It is very likely that you have ever suffered pain due to muscle contractures. In fact, muscle contractures are very common for a variety of reasons, including lack of physical activity and repetition of the same movement for prolonged periods of time. Stressful or tense situations can also contribute to their manifestation.

What is a muscle contracture?

Muscle contracture is understood as the involuntary contraction of a muscle or part of it. The affected area stiffens due to the hypertonicity of the muscle fibers, causing pain and limiting mobility to a great extent. If the contracture is important, it can be palpated and even observed with the naked eye. According to their cause or lesional mechanism, they can be classified as follows:

Postural contractures

They are the most common in people who perform their activity in front of a screen, or spend long days in the same position or making unnatural movements. Their formation is slow and progressive, and although they are not usually very painful, they are very annoying and have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of the person who suffers them. The most common postural contractures are usually in the cervical and thoracic area.

Post-traumatic contractures

They occur after an impact or trauma as a natural response of the body to try to protect sensitive areas. The brain generates a stimulus that activates the musculature adjacent to the area that has received the impact as protection. They usually cause intense pain that diminishes rapidly in two or three days depending on the location and intensity of the trauma. They are also known as defensive contractures.

Contractures due to hypotonia or muscle spasms

These are the contractures that are usually manifested during sports practice. The muscle contracts to avoid fibrillar rupture when we perform an intense activity to which our muscles are not accustomed. Muscle contraction is usually of short duration and usually subsides with rest.

Contractures due to dehydration

Muscle fibers require a large amount of water and glucose to perform their motor functions. In situations of dehydration, it is common for them to contract, causing pain and functional disability. These situations are more frequent in hot weather and can be especially serious in the elderly, so it is advisable to offer them water, even if they do not show the need to drink. Fruit is a food that contains a lot of water (as well as vitamins and minerals) and will help reduce the risk of dehydration.

How to prevent muscle contractures?

As in so many other things, the best way to avoid the discomfort and pain caused by contractures is prevention. Here are some tips to prevent them and, later, we will talk about how to treat them in case they are already affecting you:

Adopt a correct postural hygiene

Whatever the activity you do, a correct postural hygiene is of vital importance to avoid muscle contractions. If you work sitting down, try to keep your back upright and form a 90º angle with your thighs. You may find it useful to read our publication on sedentary lifestyles and their consequences.

Correct load handling is another important aspect to keep in mind. Bend your knees and keep your spine aligned when bending down. When lifting with the load, it is the thighs that must make the effort and not the back.

In recent years, the number of cervical contractures due to the abuse of cell phones has increased. Spending long periods of time looking at the screen of the device is harmful to the cervical musculature, since the inclination of the head causes curvature of the spine, and the cervical musculature suffers.

Warm up beforehand

A proper warm-up prepares the musculature to face the activity to be performed. Activating the muscles in a progressive manner considerably reduces the risk of injury and possible contractures. You can learn more by reading our article on basic warm-ups.

Avoid repetitive movements

This is often easier said than done. Depending on your work activity, you may be forced to perform the same movements day after day. If this is the case, be sure to take advantage of breaks to change your posture and stretch. Prevention is always better than cure.

How to treat muscle contractures?

There are different methods to progressively reduce the discomfort and pain associated with muscle contractures. From chiromassage techniques, through spinal manipulation or others such as electrotherapy. But what worked for someone else may not work in your particular case, since the affected area and the type of muscle contracture may be very different in both cases. The ideal is to make a previous evaluation to obtain the best personalized treatment.

At Instituto Aliaga we are experts in pain treatment. Our team of professionals will address your specific case through a holistic and multidisciplinary approach so that you can recover your mobility and quality of life as soon as possible. If you suffer from pain or have any questions about our treatments, please contact us or make an appointment by calling +34 935 952 910.

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