Muscle tension and inflexibility

[KatiePink]

The past 5 years i have let myself go to the point that i have caused lots of muscular problems and have really bad flexibility. All caused by bad posture, stress and lack of any exercise.

I recently started physiotherapy for my neck tension, the therapist could not believe how severely tight they were and that i was not in more pain, i got so used to it after a long time.
Anyhow the advice she gave me is really working, after just one week of following the stretches there is a noticeable difference in how much more i could move my neck so i'm really happy about this.

I get a very tight hip a lot probably from sitting, and i want to be able to touch my toes ect but at the minute i literally can't get half way down my shins :roflmao: i am slim so there's no problem with weight but my body is like a rusty old bike!

So i have started doing some exercises at home to build myself up but within literally 5 minutes of doing anything my heart is going so fast that it makes me feel sick, i mean i don't really worry about it, it just knocks me sick as i have a weird thing about heartbeats.

Also i have clicking and cracking in my ankles, knees and hips. Can this be muscle tension or do i need to mention it to my doctor?

Thanks

[Paul84]

Hi Katie,
I could have written most of this myself. I get muscle tension through anxiety, and recently had lower back pain. I also get the clicking in my knees and ankles.

I visited a physio last week to have a look at my back. She said my back was ok bar some tension on the right side. My spine was fine, nice and straight.
The Pain was caused by Tight Hamstrings which pull on the butt and lower back. She gave me some stretches to do, but I find i'm worse at the end of the week when work has caught up with me and I'm more tired.
The clicking is most likely caused by the Synovial fluid in the joints (Much like when people "click" their knuckles). Unless you're in pain with it, I wouldn't think you need to visit the Docs.

[KatiePink]

Hi Katie,
I could have written most of this myself. I get muscle tension through anxiety, and recently had lower back pain. I also get the clicking in my knees and ankles.

I visited a physio last week to have a look at my back. She said my back was ok bar some tension on the right side. My spine was fine, nice and straight.
The Pain was caused by Tight Hamstrings which pull on the butt and lower back. She gave me some stretches to do, but I find i'm worse at the end of the week when work has caught up with me and I'm more tired.
The clicking is most likely caused by the Synovial fluid in the joints (Much like when people "click" their knuckles). Unless you're in pain with it, I wouldn't think you need to visit the Docs.

Thanks for replying! there's no pain with it so that's good just an awful lot of clicking lol.

It's dreadful isn't it, i've had sciatica on and off for years and lower back pain, some phases are better than others, but 110% it can be made better with lifestyle changes and certain stretches/exercises, my problem was as soon as i started to feel it was better i'd go back to my old ways.

My hamstrings are definitely very tight so will work on that, hope you see some improvements soon

[ankietyjoe]

I'm in exactly the same boat too.

A couple of years ago I was taken to A&E with persistent tachycardia after I went back to work too soon after a really bad chest infection. They said it was 'stress'.

Because my heart rate stayed high for so long (120bpm for 18 hours) I literally stopped moving/doing anything since, just in case it happened again. Stupid thing to do really.

2 years later and I can barely do a thing without serious fatigue/heart rate rocketing.

I think the best way to start is to just walk, just move about. That'll get most of the muscles in your body moving to some extent and it's great exercise anyway.

[KatiePink]

I'm in exactly the same boat too.

A couple of years ago I was taken to A&E with persistent tachycardia after I went back to work too soon after a really bad chest infection. They said it was 'stress'.

Because my heart rate stayed high for so long (120bpm for 18 hours) I literally stopped moving/doing anything since, just in case it happened again. Stupid thing to do really.

2 years later and I can barely do a thing without serious fatigue/heart rate rocketing.

I think the best way to start is to just walk, just move about. That'll get most of the muscles in your body moving to some extent and it's great exercise anyway.

Yep my therapist told me that, just go for a walk although it may not seem like exercise it is and it's a good way to work the muscles. Also it's good for general wellbeing, if you're like me and end up hibernating indoors for far too long :lac:

[ankietyjoe]

if you're like me and end up hibernating indoors for far too long :lac:

Yep, I'm exactly like you. You don't realise the damage you're doing when you're doing it :doh: