« Articles

Home Remedies for Body Tension

By Tess Thompson

Body tension occurs when opposing muscles contract at the same time. For example, there two sets of muscles that allow you to move your elbow. One set of muscles is required to close the arm and the other to open it. If both set of muscles were to work together, your elbow would not move at all, since both sets of muscles would be pulling the arm in different and opposite directions. The harder the muscles are flexed, the harder the tension would become.

Every action in our body has an opposite action. If we can breathe in, we can also breathe out. If we can stand straight, we can also bend. These actions involve the use of hundreds of muscles, and some actions take the cooperated effect of more muscles that the others. The example of the elbow involves only two sets of muscles. One can only imagine the kind of tension that is created when more than two sets of opposing muscles are contracting together.

Lifestyle changes and home remedies can go a long way in order to rid the body completely or partially of physical tensions that you may experience during the course of the day.

There is not better way of removing full body tension than exercise. Regular exercises, especially those that involve stretching each part of the body, are the best ways to relax and release tension. Tighten each muscle and hold it for as long as you can without experiencing pain. Release slowly and repeat for at least five times until the tension is gone.

Localized body tension can be easily managed by a relaxing massage. Get a professional massage therapist or ask someone in the family to massage the area where you feel the tension.

A hot water bath or even a hot shower can provide physical stress relief to some extent.

Good posture is extremely necessary for managing stress in muscles. There is a correct posture for every type of activity. For example, if you are spending long hours at the computer, a straight back, arms on the arm rest at the level of the keyboard and the screen slightly below eye level is necessary to avoid tension in the muscles of the back, fingers and the neck.

Instead of bending your back to pick heavy objects, bend your knees and then pick up. Do not sit, stand or work in one position for long periods. While standing, your weight should be on both feet with the head held high and shoulders pulled back. When sitting, make sure that your thighs are parallel to the ground.

Mental activity is strongly linked to muscular tension. The brain translates mental stress into muscular tension. Contradicting thoughts ultimately lead to body tension. This is apparent if you only look in the face of a stressed person. The facial muscles are extremely contorted and can reflect muscular tension. The same fundamentals apply to the rest of the body, even though we are not aware of it. Home remedies like reading, relaxation techniques, or involving yourself in activities that you enjoy can also relieve stress.

References:

http://www.eddielewis.com/trumpet/essays/tension.htm
http://www.kytbinc.com/pages/stress.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tension-headache/DS00304/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies