How to relax your back muscles. Muscle relaxation How to relax deep muscles

After a long and hard day, unpleasant tension can be felt in the muscles, which must be relieved. Muscles can also become tense after strenuous exercise in the gym. If you feel painful stiffness and tension in the muscles, it is important to provide the muscles with the right care in order to take care of their health. Meditation and yoga can help to relax the whole body. Light stretching or a friendly or professional massage for sore, tense muscles can also be helpful. If these methods are ineffective, consult your doctor and perhaps he will prescribe the right medication for you.

Attention: The information in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using any medications, consult your doctor.

Steps

Applying heat to relieve muscle stiffness

1. Apply a heating pad to a sore or tense muscle. The heat from the heating pad will dull the pain and reduce inflammation in the muscle tissue. You can buy a heating pad at a pharmacy to use it as needed. Be sure to follow the instructions in the manual for this device.

   • In stores that sell sports equipment, you can sometimes buy heating pads designed for specific muscles.

2. Take a 15 minute Epsom salt bath. Add about 1 cup (240 ml) of Epsom salt to a bath of warm water and stir it thoroughly before getting into the water. Soak in the bath until your muscles relax. At the end of the procedure, rinse with clean water.

   • Epsom salt dissolves in water and absorbs into the skin, thereby reducing inflammation, helping muscles and nerves work, and supplying the body with magnesium. Magnesium promotes the production of serotonin by the brain. And serotonin is a chemical compound that makes a person feel calm and relaxed.
   • Epsom salt can cause irritation in the genital area for some people. If you feel the irritant effect of salt, wash it thoroughly with warm water and soap and do not resort to using this product again.

3. Sit in a sauna or steam room for 10-15 minutes. This is a great way to warm up your muscles and improve circulation. In addition, it promotes the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. Spend 10-15 minutes warming up your body and then stretch your muscles when they are relaxed. This method is especially effective after physical training and other physical activity.

   • Saunas and steam rooms are present in most major gyms. Many hotels also offer sauna and pool services.

   Consistent muscle tension and relaxation exercises

   1. To get rid of muscle stiffness, try to tighten and relax them. Squeezing the muscles will increase blood circulation, which will help further relax them. Think of this procedure as a targeted self-massage. For example, with your left hand, press on the deltoid muscle of the shoulder of your right hand. Take a slow deep breath and hold the pressure for 5 seconds. Then release your hand and exhale slowly. Do not strain the affected arm so as not to put unnecessary stress on the surrounding muscles.

      • Keep repeating these steps for 5 minutes before moving on to the next sore muscle.

   2. Try stretching your stiff muscles to help them relax. Stretch your muscles before and after exercise to prevent stiffness and soreness. Stretch for each major muscle group for 15-30 seconds to effectively deal with muscle tension. Be sure to make sure that at the same time a good stretching of the muscles is felt, but there are no serious pain sensations. Below are some good stretching exercises.

      • If your calves hurt, slowly rotate your ankles and feet in circles.
      • Pull the foot towards you and then away from you, tensing the muscles to develop the calf muscle tissue.
      • Raise your shoulders to touch your ears, and then lower them down and back. This will help relieve the condition of the shoulder muscles and muscles of the upper back.
      • Sequentially tilt your head to each shoulder and hold in this position for about 15-20 seconds. Be sure to stop when the stretch becomes too intense. This will help relax tense neck muscles.

   3. Do some light cardio to keep your muscles moving and flexible. Light cardio loads are great for relaxing muscles by improving blood circulation. Just walk at a brisk pace on a treadmill or jog outside for 15-20 minutes. Be sure to keep a faster pace than regular walking, but don't go into a full run. The goal of light cardio training is to relax the muscles, while more intense cardio, on the contrary, can cause muscle tension.

      • You can also jump rope or swim for 10-15 minutes.

   Relaxation of the whole body to relieve muscle tension

   1. Make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. It is important for any person to sleep at night for exactly the amount of time recommended for his age, regardless of the intensity of his daily schedule. Proper sleep allows muscles to relax and recover from a long day. If you exercised that day, and the subsequent night's sleep was insufficient, the muscles simply will not be able to relax, and throughout the next day you will experience muscle tension.

      • Teenagers should sleep for about 8 hours at night, and adults - at least 7 hours.

   2. Practice relaxing breathing to relieve tension in the muscles of the shoulders and back. Slow deep breathing can relieve muscle tension by improving the oxygen supply to the body. Take a slow breath in for 4 seconds, and then exhale for the same duration. As you inhale, try to take in as much air as possible. Continue to breathe deeply until you have taken 15-20 breaths or until you feel relaxed.

      • Practice relaxing breathing in a sitting or reclining position.

   3. Meditate to relax muscles and eliminate stress experienced by the body. Meditation relieves muscle tension and stress through a psychological effect on the body. Find a quiet place to meditate where no one will disturb you. You can sit up straight or cross your legs, or you can lie on your back and concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply. Free your mind from stress-causing thoughts and try to visualize how muscle tension leaves your body.

      • Although meditation can be practiced at any time of the day, evening meditation can be more effective as it prepares your body for further rest.
      • If you don't have time for a full meditation, try listening to relaxing music or sounds like the sound of the sea or rain. It will help you relax and clear your head even during hard work at your desk.

   4. Try yoga for stretching and relaxing muscles. Be aware that there are intense aerobic yoga styles that can aggravate muscle tension. Instead, turn your attention to measured, leisurely types of yoga that will allow you to stretch painful muscles without any additional tension. Experience several different types of yoga with different instructors to find the one that best suits your abilities and needs.

      • If you decide to practice in a specialized yoga studio, look for information about such organizations on the net. Do a search query for the phrase: “Yoga studios of (name of your area)”.
      • If you don't have a yoga studio where you live, try free yoga videos on popular online platforms like YouTube.

   Seeking Professional Muscle Therapy

   1. Find a professional massage therapist. Massage parlors often offer deep massage services, which have an intense effect on muscle tissues that are unable to relax on their own. Explain to the massage therapist which muscle or muscle group is bothering you and let the specialist massage this area for at least 30 minutes.

      • Look for a professional massage parlor near you. For example, enter a search query for the phrase: “Professional massage parlor (name of your area)”.

   2. Visit a chiropractor and ask them to fix your tense muscle problems. Chiropractors correct the position of bones and joints, which in turn helps relieve muscle inflammation and relieve pain. Also, manual therapists can resort to methods of electrical stimulation and massage. If you have a tense muscle that needs to be relaxed, a chiropractor can give you immediate relief. The treatment session will take 15-30 minutes, however, you will most likely need to sign up for it several days in advance.

      • Depending on the severity of your muscle pain, your chiropractor may give you up to 2-3 sessions per week for several weeks to bring the pain under control.
      • It is far from always possible to contact a chiropractor under a compulsory medical insurance policy. But if you have a voluntary health insurance policy, it may include manual therapy services. To find out everything, you need to carefully read the insurance contract or call the insurance company.

   3. Try acupuncture (acupuncture) to relieve muscle tension in certain muscle groups. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese form of medicine in which special thin needles are inserted into certain points of the body to combat a wide variety of diseases. Among other things, acupuncture can relieve muscle tension, reduce inflammation and relieve stress. Acupuncture sessions usually last about 20-30 minutes.

      • Look for certified acupuncturists near you. Try searching for the phrase: "Acupuncture (name of your area)".

   4. If you are afraid of needles, resort to massage of biologically active points. Specialists in such massage with the help of fingers, palms, elbows and special tools affect certain biologically active points of your body. The treatment session itself may also include stretching or classical massage. At the same time, massage of biologically active points helps to relieve muscle tension and improves blood circulation, which promotes relaxation. Try searching online for local professional acupressure specialists.

      • The essence of acupressure is similar in principle to acupuncture, but without the use of needles.

For normal functioning, the human body needs to constantly move. Muscles are responsible for the movement in our body, the signal for muscle contraction and relaxation is transmitted by the nerve.

How does a nerve tense a muscle?

Nerve impulses are transmitted along the nerves, similar to an electric charge, they are formed in response to irritation of neurons or at the request of a person. The stronger the impulse, the more tense the muscle. We ourselves do not feel the transfer of momentum, we imagine what we want to do and our body does it, for example, take a pen and write a text. And also reflexively, for example, touching a hot kettle, we sharply withdraw our hand. That is, our brain feels pain or other irritation and reflexively strains the muscle, protecting the body.

Why are muscles tense

There are several reasons why muscles are tense. I will mainly talk about the muscles of the back, but the same rules can be applied to all other muscles.

Injuries. With a bruise, prolonged squeezing or stretching, a person experiences pain, and in this case, our protective reflex is activated and strains the muscles.

static position. If a person is in one position for a long time or practically without changing it, for example, working at a computer or any other work with a forced position. Certain muscles stop working, do not receive the necessary load, respectively, are poorly supplied with blood. Metabolism significantly decreases in the muscles, metabolic products in the cells leave poorly, “salts in the muscles” accumulate. Muscles become tense, painful, weak, and a static posture can be the cause of the early development of osteochondrosis.

Physical exercise. Excessive physical activity puts muscles in a tense state. Most often, due to physical exertion, the muscles of the back, legs, buttocks and arms are tense. Muscle pain after sports occurs due to the fact that during sports, metabolism in the muscles increases and metabolic products do not have time to leave the muscles as quickly as they are formed. Therefore, their number in the muscles increases. The main metabolic product is lactic acid. Accumulating in the muscles, lactic acid causes irritation of the nerve endings and the brain, receiving a signal, strains the muscles.

How to relax tense muscles

There are several ways to relax tense muscles. But first, you need to get rid of the nerve stimulus:

If the cause of muscle tension is osteochondrosis, then medications that reduce pain and inflammation will help relax tense muscles (see below).

If the muscles are tense due to stress, then you first need to calm down and stop being nervous. Take a course of sedatives (tenoten, afobazole, novo-passit, persen, meloxen)or visit a psychotherapist. You can also visit the SPA-salon, get a massage, go to the sauna and other relaxing treatments.

If the muscles are tense due to an injury, whether it's a sprain or bruise, the muscles need rest. Try not to load the injured muscle, exclude all manipulations and movements that affect the muscle group - this will help to relax tense muscles as much as possible.

If the cause of muscle tension is a static position, then it is necessary to do exercises or warm-up regularly (every hour for 5 minutes), not allowing the muscles to stagnate.

If the muscles are tense due to sports, then you should reduce the work of the muscles and increase blood circulation in them. An increase in the load on the muscles will not lead to a positive result, the amount of lactic acid will only increase and irritation of the nerve receptors will increase. Here it is advisable to do light warm-up exercises, take a warm bath with sea salt, visit the sauna, and have a massage. Before starting a workout, to avoid pain and muscle tension, do a good warm-up workout and start the sport with small loads.

Secondly, you need to apply one or more methods that are suitable for all reasons that cause muscle tension:

Muscle relaxants are great for spasm and pain. These include drugs such as:

Neurodiclovitis suitable mainly for the muscles of the back, the composition of the drug includes diclofenac and vitamins of group B. It anesthetizes well and relieves inflammation, improves nutrition and blood supply to the nerves. Side effects: on the part of the digestive system - diarrhea, bloating, etc., as well as on the part of the central nervous system - headache and dizziness.

Baclofen (works on the muscles of the back), has analgesic properties, not recommended for older people. Side effects: dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, hypotension, etc.

Sirdalud well reduces the tone, and also has a moderate analgesic effect. Side effects: dizziness, drowsiness, a slight decrease in blood pressure.

Mydocalm It is an excellent muscle relaxant and pain reliever. Side effects are absent or insignificant. Works well with NSAIDs.

Make a massage - an excellent remedy for muscle tension, with a quality massage you will feel relief after the first session;

Acupuncture performed by an experienced specialist will greatly alleviate the patient's condition;

Ointment with NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) will relieve pain and spasm, just remember that you need to smear not once or twice, but 4-5 times a day for 2-3 days.

Consequences of muscle hypertonicity

Muscles that are in hypertonicity for a long time cause no small discomfort to a person. Besides the fact that tense muscles are painful, they are also weak and cannot fully perform their function. Weakness in the muscles occurs as a result of a slowdown in metabolism and insufficient nutrition of the muscles.

Due to the fact that the muscles are tense, they pinch the vessels and nerves that are next to them, so blood circulation is disturbed in the muscles and nearby organs. If the muscles of the neck are tense, then the pinched vessels can lead to impaired blood circulation in the brain, resulting in headaches, dizziness, distracted attention, blurred vision, poor sleep, etc.

Deep relaxationis based on self-hypnosis, which can measurably affect the physiological functions of the body. Concentration on "heaviness" reduces muscle tone, suggestion of heat increases the peripheral blood supply, further suggestion relaxes the organs of the abdomen and pelvis, as well as the solar plexus. Breathing and tissue metabolism slow down, the body goes into a sleep-like state.

condition. Thus, nervous tension is removed, the physical and nervous systems are restored.

Deep body relaxation

Lying position, 10–30 minutes

To begin, I stretch my whole body, raising my arms above my head and stretching to my full length. After that, I lie down relaxed. The spine, if possible, is pressed to the floor, the hands are located next to the body or on the stomach.

The blades are comfortable. The back of the neck is relaxed. I can feel my right hand very clearly. The arm is completely relaxed, the palm is free. I feel the pure weight of my hand. The right hand is warm.

My attention now shifts to my left hand, which is also completely relaxed. I feel her weight. My left hand is relaxed and all warm.

My attention shifts to the right leg. In doing so, I relax my thigh, calf, and foot so that it can move freely to the side. I feel the ground and weight of my foot. My attention shifts to my left foot. I relax my thigh muscles, calf and foot again.

There is also a pleasant heaviness in the left leg, and I feel the surface it occupies.

Both feet are well supplied with blood and bathed in warmth down to the soles of the feet, so that the soles and toes are entirely warm.

My attention shifts to the back. The muscles of the back and neck are completely soft and relaxed. If I still notice tension in that area, in my mind I just let it flow down. I feel a pleasant heaviness and enjoy the feeling that the earth is supporting me.

A feeling of pleasant peace and gentle warmth spreads in the abdominal cavity. I feel completely healthy and content.

The organs of the abdomen and pelvis are free and relaxed. Cozy warmth spreads from the abdominal cavity to the whole body.

The chest is wide and completely free, the breath flows like a life-giving, gentle wind. I feel the light currents of inhalation and exhalation and the movement of the breath in my body.

The head rests freely on a hard surface, I am fully alert, my mind is clear. The forehead is relaxed, and the eyebrows are slightly moved apart from each other. The eyelids are relaxed, as are the smallest muscles around the eyes. The forehead and around the eyes feel cool and fresh.

The skin of the cheeks and mouth is relaxed, the lips are covered without tension. The chewing muscles are relaxed so that there is little space between the jaws.

I allow myself to drown in this pleasant peace, like in a warm fragrant bubble bath.

My mind remains alert and clear and I can

enjoy peace in the waking state.

I feel wonderfully free and light and

I rest in deep silence.

Every cell of my body is filled with fresh energy, and I feel completely energized, cheerful and clear.

Short form of deep body relaxation

Sitting, about 5 minutes

With deep breaths, I easily let go of all the remnants of tension, each exhalation brings more freedom and relief.

I drop my shoulders. All muscles are completely relaxed, a pleasant heaviness is felt in the arms and legs.

The palms are completely warm. I feel warmth in my feet.

My abdominal muscles are absolutely relaxed and soft, my stomach and pelvic organs are relaxed and free.

With a slow, deep breath of relaxation, I allow the breath to flow down into the pelvis.

Breathing now flows smoothly and evenly.

The skin around the eyes and facial features are soft and relaxed. The forehead feels cool.

What matters now is my well-being and my peace, all other thoughts slip away, I forget the world...

Satisfied, I drown in this peace and enjoy the warmth of my body.

Relaxing breath

Serves deep relaxation; performed in the supine position

The back is extended and the spine lies as flat as possible. Hands are located next to the body.

While inhaling, I strain my right hand and at the same time clench my right palm into a fist - while I raise my outstretched, tense arm a few centimeters from the floor. As I exhale, I lower my fully relaxed arm back to the floor and relax the muscles in my arm and palm.

Now the hand is completely relaxed and with a pleasant heaviness lies on the floor.

Now, while inhaling, I strain my left hand and clench my left palm into a fist, while I slightly raise my hand from the floor. With an exhalation, I lower my completely relaxed and pleasantly heavy hand back. Now the left hand is relaxed on the floor.

Now, while inhaling, I strain my left leg to the very toes, while also raising it a little. As you exhale, the left leg, completely relaxed and heavy, falls back to the floor.

With an inhalation, I lightly raise my head and lower it as I exhale back.

Now the whole body feels a pleasant heaviness and relaxation. I enjoy the feeling that I am absolutely passively lying on the floor - on the earth holding me.

An increase in body temperature helps to increase blood circulation and saturate the body with oxygen and nutrients necessary for muscle recovery. It is best to do this immediately after a workout or before bed.

Pool and hot shower

Swimming in water at a comfortable temperature also promotes rest and relaxation. True, at the same time, one must not forget that this is no longer a full-fledged workout: there is no need to try to swim across the pool in record time.

Stretching

Many athletes completely in vain neglect stretching, but it perfectly relaxes muscles, relieves tension and helps strengthen muscles. It is best to do it immediately after a workout, when the muscles are well warmed up. It is very important not to rush and spend at least 30 seconds on each exercise.

Massage

No wonder every professional athlete has his own personal massage therapist - a deep massage helps to completely relax all muscle fibers. But here it is very important to find a good specialist.

cardio exercises

After strength training, it is very useful to work out on cardio equipment for 10-15 minutes - to walk on a treadmill or pedal on an exercise bike. This will help improve circulation and relax your muscles. It is only important not to overdo it and do the exercises in a gentle mode.

Green tea

Green tea contains many antioxidants that improve health and promote relaxation.

Breathing exercises

Set aside a few minutes before bed for breathing techniques. Breathe slowly, inhaling for about 4 seconds and exhaling for 4 seconds. As you exhale, imagine all tension and accumulated fatigue leaving your body. Gradually relax each muscle until you feel completely relaxed.

Too much tension without good relaxation takes a lot of energy. Movements become constrained, fatigue increases, blood circulation, sleep, and so on are disturbed. In general, as much as the muscles tense up, they should relax as much. However, this is not always the case. A sedentary lifestyle and inactivity lead to the fact that some muscles are tense too much, while others get tired even after a little work with them. You have to resort to special means, muscles. Knowing them is extremely necessary for those who strive for a fulfilling lifestyle.

Tension and relaxation

To know how to relax muscles, and be able to do it, you need to learn to feel and be able to work with tension. The method consists in voluntary muscle tension, and then in their natural relaxation. So we will not only learn how to relax the muscles, but also become better at feeling our body.

Take turns working on different parts of the body. You should start with those muscle groups that feel best. These are the hands, as well as the face. Do the exercises in any position that is comfortable for you. But the best option is still a pose lying on your back.

Squeeze the first hand into a fist with all your strength. Hold this for a few seconds before relaxing your muscles. After that, try to release the tension and feel your muscles at this time. No need to overdo it. Let the body relax naturally, and you just observe your sensations. Then repeat the exercise. You will notice that you will feel much better relaxation. Do the same with the other hand. After the hands feel good, focus on the whole arm, forearm and shoulder.

Then do the same with starting with the muscles around the eyes and moving on to the lower jaw and neck.

Having mastered these parts of the body, we move on to the feet, and then the calves, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, lower back and back as a whole. At the end, mentally take a look at the whole body. Try to feel if there are still pinched areas left somewhere. If you feel tension somewhere else, relax these places in the same way, straining them very, very strongly for a few seconds, and then releasing the tension.

After the whole session, you do not need to immediately quickly get up and get down to business. If you did the exercises lying down, first turn on your side, pick up your leg, Gradually transfer the center of gravity to one knee, and then to your feet. If you were sitting, then you should first lean forward and transfer the weight to your legs, after which you can slowly get up. Such a gradual exit from relaxation must be adhered to.

Focus on your body and touch

You can learn how to relax tense muscles by developing general sensitivity in yourself. Try to run through the body with your inner eye and feel your muscles, then the temperature of the external environment, the surface with which you are in contact, the pulsation, and so on. Everything that can be felt in the body. At the same time, you should not rush. Try to dwell on every feeling. For example, starting with the fingers, gradually move to the hand, elbow and reach the armpit. In this exercise, the main thing is not relaxation, but concentration on your feelings.

The essence of the next exercise is to focus on breathing. Concentrate on it and be aware. Feel the surface you are in contact with, your clothing. Focus on all points where the body comes into contact with clothing and surfaces. Watch your attention and try not to control or command it. Just enjoy the touch. Usually muscle tension goes away on its own after a few minutes.

Movement is life: relax your arms and neck

It is not in vain that people say: "Relieve stress." And it's not just a figure of speech. You can really take the pressure off. Let's try to implement it.

Bending your elbows, shake your hands. You don't need to put in a lot of effort. Let the brushes dangle themselves. Then spread the vibration all the way to your arms, lowering them, raising your shoulders to your ears and letting them sort of fall. Relax your neck. Let your chin rest on your chest. Slowly let your head make a semicircle in one direction, then in the other. There is no need to stretch your neck. Let the muscles themselves choose a stretch that is convenient for them. While doing this exercise, try to feel where there is tension that does not allow the neck to move normally. Gradually you will work with these areas.

Relaxing the body and legs

Lean forward, backward and sideways. But try to do these exercises not at the expense of muscular effort, but by relaxing the antagonistic muscles. Therefore, the movement should be soft and slow.

Lean your hand against the wall and take a few swings with your foot forward, backward and to the sides. Let the leg move freely. No need to try to raise it as high as possible. Remember that you are not stretching, but relaxing. Do the same with the other leg, and then with the arms.

Standing straight, turn to the sides relaxed. The exercise is also performed by the pelvis, while relaxing the upper body as much as possible. Hands should dangle like ropes lowered down. The head can turn along with the body. We do not fix the breath, but breathe freely. Let your hands “fly”, overflowing to the sides and up, and the body twists as it wants.

How to do relaxation exercises

There should be a short pause at the end of each relaxation exercise. In this case, you can smoothly get up and stand or walk around, trying not to strain. If possible, repeat some exercises throughout the day, giving rest to tired muscle groups. In this way, you will gradually understand very well how to relax the muscles.

The lying position, although optimal, can only be used during the day on a day off. You can do relaxation exercises both in and sitting on a chair, and being in public transport in any position. Feel your muscles and you will succeed!

Bath

A great and very pleasant way to relax is to take a bath. Fill it with warm water, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, or pour in an infusion of herbs (such as chamomile).

Such a bath will perfectly relax the muscles and cleanse the pores of the skin, improving the breathing of the whole body.

Massage

A relaxing massage, especially after taking a bath, will perfectly complement the procedure. Starting with the toes and feet, gradually move up and walk through the entire body. Massage will fill the body with energy and as if breathe new life. Of course, it is better if the masseur does the procedure. But you can also do self-massage. After all, for a relaxing look, you don’t need to make much effort.

Muscle relaxers

Sometimes the process is so neglected that exercises and home procedures do not bring the desired effect and tension remains. It is advisable to continue doing relaxation exercises. But often people prefer to replace their own efforts with pharmacy drugs.

There are special medicines that relax the muscles. Among them there are ointments, tablets and even injections.

Ointments will help relieve pain in the legs. For example, "Finalgon" is applied to diseased areas, after which the legs must be provided with heat. Of course, baths after applying the ointment should be out of the question.

With osteochondrosis, pills that relax muscles are often prescribed. Among them are known, for example, Mydocalm, Baclofen and MM-301.

Intravenous drugs may be administered for short-term operations.

Do exercise therapy. With the help of simple but well-chosen physical exercises, you can achieve a lot, including learning how to relax easily.

Choose a chair that provides good back support. It would be nice if it could be adjusted.

Try to keep your head straight, without raising your chin, but not lowering it either.

If you have a sedentary job, try to take small breaks every hour. Walk along the corridor, up the stairs. Make tilts to the sides and chat with your limbs.

Conclusion

We have considered only a few ways to relax the muscles of the many available. But if you start using at least these, then you may not need any additional muscle relaxers in the future.