By Allie Epstein Poalino EBS COLUMNIST
Tired of feeling stiff in your muscles or joints? We’ve all been there. Whether it’s part of your daily routine, happens after a tough workout, or shows up after a big day adventuring outside.
As physical therapists, we hear these questions all the time:
“Why am I so stiff in one spot but not another?”
“What is causing my joints or muscles to feel so tight and stuck?”
Let’s pull back the curtain on what’s really going on in your body. Is it your muscles? Your joints? Or both? Most importantly, how can you fix it?
Joint stiffness can result from a few different processes in the body. “Joints” are the points where two or more bones meet, and they allow movement. When a joint is stiff, it’s often because it isn’t moving as it should. If a joint isn’t moving properly, either too much or not enough, it can lead to increased friction between the bones and surrounding tissues, creating irritation and inflammation that shouldn’t otherwise be there. The excessive build up from this process creates pain and a sensation of stiffness.
Muscle tightness can also cause someone to feel stiff in certain areas of the body. Muscles are responsible for making joints in our body move, and they do so by contracting—getting shorter—and relaxing—getting longer.
When a muscle is working hard or even being overused, it develops small micro-tears which results in cascading a healing and rebuilding process to start. This can lead to muscle fibers tightening and an overall feeling of rigidity in that area as the muscle undergoes its own recovery process, which can span anywhere from 48-72 hours in duration. This is the process that happens after pushing your body hard in a workout or after a big hike.
Muscle “trigger points” or “knots” can also contribute to a sensation of excessive tightness and pain. Trigger points often develop when one muscle is overused to compensate for another that isn’t activating properly, leading to imbalances and localized tension within the muscle. A common offender is the “Upper Trapezius” muscle between the neck and shoulder, usually substituting for a weak upper back or shoulder muscles.
On the contrary, when a muscle is underused due to a lack of movement, it tends to remain at the same resting length for extended periods. Think about your upper back muscles during long stretches of poor posture at your desk. Over time, this static positioning can lead to reduced flexibility and a sensation of “stiffness”, as the muscle becomes less adaptable to changes in length or movement.
So, what do I do now?
Now that we have a firm grasp on the concepts that drive joint stiffness and muscle tightness, what can we do about it?
Below are some of our expert tips on how to be proactive to prevent stiffness as well as what to do each morning and night to keep your body healthy.
- Hydrate: Staying properly hydrated throughout the day and week helps keep your joints lubricated and your connective tissues elastic, reduces inflammation, and optimizes your circulation. How much water should you drink? Use this simple equation: the minimum number of ounces of water you need to consume per day is equal to half of your body weight in pounds. For example, if you weigh 150lbs, you need to be consuming at least 75 ounces of water each day, which is about two 40oz Stanley’s total.
Also, factor in electrolytes. It isn’t just about getting in your daily number of ounces of water in a day, you need to also be adding in at least 1 packet of electrolytes to 30-40 oz of water per day to be sure your body absorbing the right amount of sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which are all key players in reducing joint and muscle stiffness and tightness.
- Pack in the protein: Focus on prioritizing protein packed meals and snacks first like beefy jerky, cheese and yogurt throughout the day, and balance with nutrient rich foods like fruits and vegetables, followed by a sprinkle of your complex carbs such as whole grain granola bars, nuts, and trail mixes. These foods will fuel your body and help keep your joints and muscles performing free of excess inflammation.
- Dedicate four minutes each day to stretching:As physical therapists, it is no secret that we are huge fans of movement and lots of it. With this, we understand how busy your day can get.
Below is a four minute daily stretching routine that we swear by. Try to complete these stretches each morning and you will feel like a whole new person.
- Half kneeling overhead reaches: Start in half kneeling, placing your back knee on a pillow or thin cushion, and lunge forward with both hands reaching up overhead. Do this 10 times in a row, dynamically, 1 set on each side.
- Seated 90/90/90 spinal twist: Sit on the floor in 90/90/90 and gently twist your upper back to the right and to the left. Do this 10 times each way, and then switch your lead leg, and repeat on the other side.
- Arm and neck circles: Stand up and do 10 arm circles as big as you can on each arm, followed by 10 neck rolls each way.
- Forward fold and reaches: Put your feet together and perform a forward fold reaching your hands towards your shins working them as close to the floor as you can get. Keep your back flat, hinging from the waist! Hold this for a few seconds, and then slowly begin to heel-toe your feet wider so that you can now reach your hands to the floor. Hold this stretch, perhaps even walking your hands slightly to the left and slightly to the right to deepen the stretch on the backside of your legs, working up to a 45-second hold.
If you are staying properly hydrated, eat a balanced diet, and have already tried a total body stretching routine but are still dealing with prolonged stiffness and tightness, it might be time for a more personalized approach. Your body has its own unique anatomy, movement patterns, and preferences. What works for one person might not work for another, this is where we step in to guide you by giving you the right recipe that your body needs to stop stiffness in its tracks and drive results fast.
By coming to physical therapy, we will give you our undivided attention and a hands on approach to determine how your body moves, identify areas of your body that are compensating or underperforming and create a plan to resolve stiffness. This plan can include a combination of stretching, manual interventions like joint mobilization and soft tissue work, modalities such as dry needling or cupping to address those extra stubborn areas, as well as strengthening to rebalance your body and maintain results over time.
You don’t have to suffer and figure it out alone, let’s get you moving and feeling better! If you have any questions or wish to learn more, speak to an expert at our Big Sky + Performance or Bozeman + Performance locations today.
Allie Epstein Poalino is a passionate and dedicated Physical Therapist at Lone Peak PT and has proudly served the Big Sky community for the past decade. Our entire team has advanced training and high-level expertise in biomechanics, movement analysis, and performance testing, and provides an unparalleled physical therapy and sports rehabilitation experience. At Lone Peak PT, we are passionate about helping our patients recover faster and empowering them to excel in their rehabilitation journey and confidently return to doing what they love.
