How to Everything you need to know about muscle contractures

Muscle contractures are one of the minor injuries that most limit our activity or physical performance, as well as being a frequent injury in a large part of the population (the back is the main focus in which they usually occur, although not the only one). These injuries may be thought to be exclusive to sports people, but the truth is that they are much more common among sedentary people than in physically active people, precisely as a result of being sedentary and lack of muscle tone. What is a muscle contracture? The term "muscle contracture" refers precisely to the moment in which the muscle makes its own contraction to generate movement or force. From this definition, we can conclude that a muscle contracture is a contraction of the muscle (or of some of the fibers that make it up), which remains contracted over time, that is, it does not return to its usual state of relaxation. A muscle contracture can originate in three different ways: while we exercise or in the execution of a movement of our day-to-day (it may be due to an excessively explosive movement for which the muscle was not sufficiently prepared or warm), after performing the exercise (due to excessive fatigue of the muscle) or due to a blow or trauma to the muscle. There may also be cases of contractures that appear due to poor posture maintained over time, such as the posture adopted by a person who works all day in an office and does not sit correctly or is stooped in front of the computer. And there is another factor that is becoming more common as a generator or trigger of muscle contractures: stress. A stressed person is a person who is continually stressed, and this, in the long run, generates stress on our muscles that if we do not relieve them in some way (massages, stretching), it will end up generating an injury at the muscular level. How can we prevent muscle contracture? Although we are all exposed to suffering a muscle contracture at some point, no matter how well we are physically (it is 100% impossible to prevent any type of injury), it is true that there are some guidelines that we can put into practice to prevent as much as possible. Possible of this type of injury: Postural hygiene: postural hygiene is vital to avoid acquiring flawed postures that lead us to suffer a contracture. The bad position in a chair when sitting in our office, being stooped all day when we walk, always carrying weight on the same side such as when carrying a bag or a backpack... are some examples of what are vitiated postures. Avoiding them is essential to maintain proper postural health. Adequate warm-up in sports practice: if we do physical activity, warm-up is essential to prevent muscle contractures, since it progressively starts up the muscle for the physical effort that is to come, avoiding explosive cold movements that can injure us. Maintenance of good muscle tone: a person who enjoys good muscle tone will be less likely to suffer muscle contractures than another who does not, for the simple fact that their musculoskeletal system will be in better tone and more prepared for unforeseen events such as a fall or a blow. Reduce sedentary lifestyle: trying to lead a life as sedentary as possible and staying physically active will undoubtedly help our muscles to be in good condition, considerably reducing the chances of suffering an injury of this type. In addition, it is important that physical activity, if we are starting, we do it in a controlled and progressive way, since if we start with too high intensities we will almost certainly be injured. Most common muscle contractures The neck, the back, and to a lesser extent the legs are the main form, in which the greatest number of muscle contractures usually occur. Cervical contractures are usually caused by poor posture on a daily basis, especially among those who have an office job and spend long hours working sitting in front of a computer, and do not have correct postural hygiene. They can also be caused by a bad posture when sleeping or the use of a pillow that does not adapt to our physiognomy. If we talk about cervical contractures caused by sudden movements or blows, we could ensure that in almost 100% of traffic accidents, cervical contractures are a direct consequence of them. Contractures the back is, possibly, the muscular and anatomical area that we treat the worst in our day: bad postures continuously, little rest, stress, and lack of muscle tone... will mean that, sooner or later, our back ends up complaining in contracture form. As a general rule, we will notice in the affected back area a sensation of stiffness or of having "a ball" inside, unequivocal signs that we almost certainly have a contracture. And it should be noted that back injuries can be highly disabling and cause many problems in the future if we do not rehabilitate them correctly. Contractures in the legs Normally, contractures in the lower body tend to be more typical of sportspeople or those who are starting out in sports but do so with an intensity above what they should. In addition, contractures are, together with overload (which can also be a precursor to a future contracture if we do not stop in time) and cramps, some of the most frequent injuries in the lower body (always speaking from a muscular point of view). And very careful girls who wear heels very often, because it is a factor that can favor the appearance of contractures in the legs and in the area of ​​​​your lower back due to the forced position of the feet. How to treat a muscle contracture? The first thing to do in case of suffering a muscle contracture is for physical activity since in case of continuing to do it we could cause the muscle to end up breaking and a fiber break is a more serious injury than a contracture. Rest (always to the extent possible) will be one of the basic guidelines in the treatment of contractures. Carrying out good stretching protocols, gently and as long as there is no pain, will be another of the mechanisms that we can put at our disposal for the treatment of this type of injury. A clear example of this is cervical contractures, which in many cases improve and relieve the discomfort by performing the appropriate stretches (in addition to serving to relax the muscles in the area and relieve muscle stress caused by the injury). Along with stretching, the application of local heat helps a lot in the recovery from the injury. For contractures that are a little more persistent or painful, it may be necessary to use analgesics or anti-inflammatories, for which we must first go to our doctor so that he or she is the one who prescribes these medications. In no case should we be the ones who start taking them without first consulting a doctor? Going to a physiotherapist is another measure that can greatly improve the treatment of muscle contracture, as it will relieve the area and help us relax all the affected muscles.