Dominic Stone
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong, while underactive muscles are lengthened, inhibited, and weak. This muscle imbalance can be caused by poor posture, stress, repetitive movement, or injury. Overactive muscles are hypertonic, with chronic increased tone, and can be treated by foam rolling and static stretching. They are a result of disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns, leading to increased activity during joint action. This can cause the body to compensate, leading to further imbalances and pain. Positive muscle phenomena, such as cramps, myalgia, and stiffness, can be indicators of underlying myopathy and should be assessed by a professional.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | "A state of having disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns that lead a muscle to be more active during a joint action" |
| Cause | Stress, overuse, repetitive movement, poor posture, or injury |
| Symptoms | Cramp, myalgia, stiffness, pain, and poor performance |
| Treatment | Lengthening (stretching and foam rolling) the overactive muscles and engaging the underactive muscles |
| Prevention | Warm-ups, light muscle activations, and exercises that target specific muscles, such as the overhead squat assessment |
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What You'll Learn
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong
Overactive muscles are generally assumed to be shortened, tight, and strong. This is often the result of disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns, which cause the muscle to be more active during a joint action. Overactivity can also be referred to as hypertonicity, or chronic increased tone.
However, it is important to note that the relationship between muscle length and strength is not always straightforward. A muscle may feel tight without being overactive and strong, and a lengthened muscle can be overactive and dominant over another muscle. For example, in an anterior pelvic tilt position, the hip flexors may become shortened and overactive, while the primary hip extensors are relaxed.
Overactive and underactive muscles are usually reflections of muscle imbalances, which can be caused by poor posture, stress, repetitive movement, or injury. This can lead to altered reciprocal inhibition, where the inverse relationship between contracting and relaxing muscles is disrupted. For example, tight hip flexors can decrease neural drive to the gluteus maximus, inhibiting its function. This can result in synergistic dominance, where another muscle group takes over the function of the inhibited muscle.
The first step in treating overactive muscles is Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) using a foam roller or other tools to break up tension and adhesions in the fascia. This is followed by stretching techniques to lengthen the shortened muscle.
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They are hypertonic, with increased tone
Overactive muscles are generally assumed to be short, tight, and strong, while underactive muscles are assumed to be long and weak. However, these assumptions can be misleading. Overactive muscles are hypertonic, with increased tone, while underactive muscles are hypotonic, with decreased tone.
Hypertonic Muscles
Hypertonia, or abnormally increased muscle tone, is caused by upper motor neuron lesions in the brain or spinal cord. It can manifest as spasticity, dystonia, rigidity, or a combination of these subtypes. Spastic hypertonia involves uncontrollable muscle spasms, stiffening, shock-like contractions, and abnormal muscle tone. Dystonic hypertonia refers to muscle resistance to passive stretching and a tendency for a limb to return to a fixed involuntary posture following movement. Rigidity is a severe state of hypertonia where muscle resistance occurs throughout the entire range of motion of the affected joint, commonly associated with Parkinson's disease and basal ganglia injuries.
Treatment
The treatment of hypertonia depends on the pathology and functionality of the individual patient. Treatment options include physical therapy, oral medications, intramuscular injections, and surgical procedures. Physiotherapy, for instance, aims to reduce excessive tone and facilitate normal movement patterns. Local injections of botulinum toxin (Botox) or phenol can also be used to selectively reduce tone in muscles causing tightness or spasms.
Causes
Muscle imbalances, which can be caused by poor posture, stress, repetitive movement, or injury, can lead to overactive muscles. Positive muscle phenomena, such as cramp, myalgia, and stiffness, can be caused by side-effects of medication, metabolic disorders, vitamin deficiency, excessive caffeine intake, or neurogenic disorders.
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They are caused by stress, overuse, poor posture, or injury
Overactive muscles are generally assumed to be short, tight, and strong. However, this is not always the case. Overactivity can be caused by stress, overuse, poor posture, or injury, which can lead to muscle imbalances.
Stress
Stress can cause muscle imbalances, leading to overactivity in certain muscles. When stressed, the body's natural response is to tense up, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and back. This can lead to overactivity in these areas, causing muscle tightness and pain.
Overuse
Overuse of muscles can lead to overactivity and muscle imbalances. For example, spending too many hours hunched over a computer or mobile device can cause the muscles in the neck and shoulders to become overactive and strained, leading to Upper Cross Syndrome (UCS). UCS is characterised by tightened and shortened major and minor pectoralis muscles, with weakened counter muscles.
Poor posture
Poor posture, such as slouching or hunching, can also cause muscle imbalances and overactivity. Similar to overuse, poor posture can lead to UCS, with the head being pushed forward, causing an abnormal position for the muscles. This can result in tightened and shortened chest muscles and weakened counter muscles, creating an X shape.
Injury
Injury can also be a cause of muscle overactivity and imbalances. For example, an injury to a particular muscle group can lead to overcompensation by other muscle groups, causing them to become overactive. This altered movement pattern can lead to further injuries.
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They can be treated by foam rolling and static stretching
Overactive muscles are generally assumed to be short, tight, and strong, while underactive muscles are thought to be long and weak. However, these assumptions can be misleading. Overactive and underactive muscles are usually reflections of muscle imbalances caused by factors such as poor posture, stress, repetitive movements, or injuries.
Foam rolling is a self-massage technique that can be used to treat overactive muscles. It involves using a foam roller to exert pressure on the soft tissue, mimicking the pressure applied by a massage therapist. Foam rolling helps to alleviate muscle soreness and tenderness, improve muscular performance, and enhance recovery. It can be performed before or after a workout to prevent or reduce muscle soreness, respectively.
Additionally, static stretching can also be employed to address overactive muscles. Static stretching involves holding a specific position for a certain duration, typically 20 to 45 seconds, to increase flexibility and improve range of motion. It is important to note that static stretching is most effective when used as part of a cool-down routine rather than a warm-up, as it may negatively impact performance if done before exercise.
By combining foam rolling and static stretching, individuals can effectively treat overactive muscles, improve muscle function, and reduce the risk of injury. These techniques are valuable tools in maintaining muscle health and promoting overall well-being.
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They can lead to muscle imbalances and pain
Overactive muscles are generally assumed to be short, tight, and strong, while underactive muscles are assumed to be long and weak. However, these assumptions can be misleading. Overactive muscles are hypertonic, meaning they have a chronically increased tone, while underactive muscles are hypotonic, meaning they have a chronically decreased tone.
Overactive and underactive muscles are often a result of muscle imbalances and poor posture. Muscle imbalances occur when one muscle is more active during a joint action than its opposing muscle. This can be due to various factors such as stress, repetitive movements, injury, or poor posture. For example, in an anterior pelvic tilt position, the hip flexors may become shortened and overactive, while the primary hip extensors are relaxed. This altered relationship between the contracting and relaxing muscles can lead to further complications.
The overactive muscle wins the 'tug-of-war' between opposing muscles, pulling the limb or body part into an altered and unwanted position. This can cause muscle imbalances and pain. For instance, tight hip flexors can decrease neural drive to the gluteus maximus, inhibiting its function and leading to potential discomfort.
Additionally, overactive muscles can be associated with various positive muscle phenomena, such as cramping, myalgia, and stiffness. These manifestations may be caused by several factors, including side effects of medication, metabolic disorders, vitamin deficiencies, excessive caffeine intake, or neurogenic disorders. Recognizing and addressing these underlying causes can be crucial for proper treatment.
To address overactive and underactive muscles, it is essential to re-balance the body. This involves lengthening the overactive muscles through stretching and foam rolling, while engaging and strengthening the underactive muscles. By doing so, harmony can be restored to the body, reducing pain, and improving overall performance.
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Frequently asked questions
Overactive muscles are shortened, tight, and strong (also called hypertonic). They are a result of disrupted neuromuscular recruitment patterns that lead a muscle to be more active during a joint action.
Overactive muscles can be caused by stress, overuse, repetitive movements, poor posture, or injury.
If you are experiencing muscle cramp, myalgia, and stiffness, this could be a sign of overactive muscles. Other signs include muscle weakness, muscle hypertrophy, and myoglobinuria.
Once you determine which muscles are overactive, you can create a plan to re-balance your body. This involves lengthening (stretching and foam rolling) the overactive muscles and engaging the underactive muscles through exercise.
