Why am I feeling so stiff?

It’s no secret: stiffness is no longer confined to the elderly; as a populace, we are becoming stiffer at a younger age. But what is making us this way? We have more sedentary jobs, and more stress to go along with them; more reasons to seek entertainment in our devices; less motive to move. Whether you are feeling stiff because of your job and associated lack of motion, your lack of exercise, a physical illness or injury, or your bad diet, it is time to start identifying the cause and doing something about it.

The anatomy of muscle tightness and stiffness

When you flex a muscle, you are tensing it. Try flexing your bicep and holding it for 10 seconds; now imagine that it was tensed like this all the time. There are muscles throughout the back that connect to the spine from the neck down to the pelvis, and muscles in the legs that connect to the pelvis as well. If any of these muscles remain tight for extended period of time, they create a pull on the spine that often results in misalignment. When the spine becomes misaligned, it often impinges on nerves exiting the spine creating pain and dysfunction. 

Resolving muscle tension in Sacramento

Because the sensation of stiffness is often a manifestation of muscle tension, it’s time to stop asking yourself, “where did all I my range of motion go?” and time to start doing something about resolving tense muscles. A core tenet of chiropractic is the establishment and maintenance of spinal balance in order to prevent nerve pain and dysfunction. Chiropractic adjustments are effective at restoring range of motion even before you start a regime of exercise and stretching to condition your muscles out of their stiffness. If you are interested in becoming less stiff, give our office in Sacramento a call to schedule an appointment today.