We’ve all felt it—that tightness in your neck after a long day, or that band of pressure across your lower back that won’t seem to ease up. That’s muscle tension, and it’s your body’s way of protecting you… but sometimes it overdoes it.
Muscle tension happens when your muscles contract and don’t fully release. It can come from physical overuse, emotional stress, poor posture, or even dehydration and lack of sleep. Over time, it creates a holding pattern in your body. Your muscles forget how to relax, and that constant contraction pulls on your joints and throws off your movement.
Symptoms can include:
- Stiffness or reduced range of motion
- Dull, aching pain
- Feeling like your body is always “on” or “tight”
- Sleep disruption from muscle discomfort
When I treat muscle tension, I look at both the mechanical and the nervous system side of things. Sometimes the fix is structural—realigning the spine to take pressure off muscles. Sometimes it’s neurological—helping the brain understand that the body is safe, so it can let go of the tension.
Either way, we work with your body, not against it. The goal is ease, not just relief.