Tense muscles

Does anyone get stiff muscles and pains in their shoulders and back? My anxiety makes my shoulders so tense! I'm pretty sure I stay tense even when I'm sleeping, because I wake up with aches. If I had the money, I'd get a message therapist. Not sure how to relax?

[Betha]

Yes all the time I have knots everywhere

[Hidden in reply to Betha]

Yes, The knots! Extremely irritating

[Agora1]

ElliottParker, there isn't a muscle in my body that isn't stiff and tense. Shoulders, back and neck are the worse. I believe it's from years of having dealt with anxiety. Even though I no longer experience anxiety or panic attacks never the less, I thing my muscles haven't learned to relax yet.

I have a firm mattress that supports my body without it sinking in as well as a therapeutic pillow to support my neck and shoulders. I use hot baths to relieve tense muscles as well as daily meditation and deep breathing (throughout the day)

A message although beneficial would be short term relief. Physical therapy/Occupational therapy helped but again that gets expensive as well. The thing about that therapy is you walk away with techniques and methods to help yourself.

Finding ways to find some quiet "me time" in the afternoon and before sleep helps destress your mind and body. Find what works for you and do it everyday. x

[Hidden]

Elliott Parker.

I've had that going on for 37 years also lol.

Oh dear what can we do ah, the so called NHS haha for what you or don't beleave it's worth are about as limited as to what they can do for us I've discovered as a cripple would be trying to run through the woods lol.

Agora1.

I think hit the nail on the head.

With deep breathing techniques and meditation. Is about the best non drug route we have.

When I get too tense and oh I do these days , I tend to listen to deep meditation on YouTube some of it really works you just have to try a few until one works for you.

And try practising the re birthing breathing technique . It can help a lot.

Bless you xx

Keep strong and positive as that my dear seems all we have to rely on ?

Ourselves .

Thinking of you a lot x

[blackcat64013]

Hi Elliott,

The knots in muscles are definitely stress related. There are lot of shoulder and neck exercises that you can practice available on the web. A DIY massage trick you can do at home is put a 4-6 tennis balls inside a pillow case and roll around on them

[Hidden in reply to blackcat64013]

Cool! I'll have to give that tennis ball thing a try.

[Mazer]

I had tense neck shoulders and face for ages, I'd be sitting watching tv and then think to myself "are my shoulders relaxed?" and they weren't, I be holding them up without even knowing. I got a cd that tells you to tense each separate muscle for 5 seconds then relax them but it never seemed to work for me and just gave me more muscle twitching.

I don't know if tense muscles was the cause but my circulation went dodgy, I'd randomly go freezing cold and shiver but my face would stay red hot.

The only thing that's worked for me is magnesium glycinate 25mg twice a day.

I do still wake sometimes with tense muscles but that seems to be caused by what I've eaten or drank the night before. If my stomach feels ok in the morning I feel ok and don't have tense muscles or nausea or titanus or teeth pain or blood in my mouth (was getting all that evey single day for a year before I tried magnesium)

I also listen to relaxing sounds each night whilst nodding off (loads on YouTube)

Also take a mid afternoon nap if possible, I'd always wake more relaxed the next day if I'd had one.

[Betha]

I see a masseuse monthly, I called a acupuncturist and I am going back to a chiropractor!