Muscle adhesions can be a real pain—literally. They happen when your muscle fibers or the connective tissue around them start sticking together, limiting your range of motion and causing discomfort.
Whether you’re a high-performance athlete or spend most of your day sitting at a desk, you can develop muscle adhesions. They’re surprisingly common, and they can affect just about anyone.
In this article, we’ll explore how muscle adhesions form, the different types that exist, what symptoms to look out for, how to treat them, and—most importantly—how to prevent them from happening in the first place.
Understanding Muscle Adhesions and Fascia
Muscle adhesions are like tiny welds that form between your muscles and the surrounding tissues, especially the fascia.
What are Muscle Adhesions?
Think of muscle adhesions as areas where collagen has built up and fused tissues together. This fusion limits the smooth gliding and movement that should occur when you stretch or flex your muscles.
Fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds your muscles, organs, and even your nerve fibers, sort of like a body stocking. When this fascia becomes tight or inflamed, it can contribute to muscle pain and the formation of those pesky adhesions.
What is Scar Tissue?
Scar tissue is another key player in the adhesion game. It forms as part of your body’s natural healing process, but sometimes it can cause more harm than good.
When scar tissue builds up, it can restrict your mobility and contribute to muscle stiffness and pain. If the healing process goes awry, it can lead to thick, fibrous scar tissue that prevents your muscles from moving freely.
How do muscle adhesions form?
Muscle adhesions often begin with repetitive movements, injuries, inflammation, or even just bad posture. Sitting too much can also lead to fascia adhesions.
When you experience micro-tears in your muscle fibers, your body jumps into action to repair the damage. Sometimes, this healing response results in muscle adhesions.
Adhesions can be either physiological or pathological.
- Physiological adhesions are helpful.
- Pathological adhesions are not.
Physiological adhesions stabilize joints, while pathological adhesions cause pain and restrict movement. If you’re experiencing pain or limited movement, it might be the result of problematic muscle adhesions.
How do adhesion proteins contribute to muscle problems?
Adhesion proteins are specialized molecules that help your cells bind to each other and to the stuff around them. They’re critical for maintaining the structure of your muscles and helping them transmit force when you move.
When adhesion proteins work as they should, your muscles work as they should. But problems with their expression or function can lead to the formation of adhesions and other problems.
Symptoms and Impact of Muscle Adhesions
So, how do you know if you have muscle adhesions?
Symptoms of Muscle Adhesions
The most common symptoms are a feeling of tightness that just won’t go away, pain, restricted range of motion, and tenderness in the affected area. Pain stemming from the fascia may improve a little when you move around, and it often responds well to heat therapy.
Adhesions can also lead to trigger points and myofascial pain syndrome. When the fascia gets too tight, it can compress the muscles, leading to those painful knots we call trigger points. This can develop into a broader condition known as myofascial pain syndrome.
Impact on the Body
Sticky muscles can really mess with your range of motion and coordination. You might find it harder to move freely and smoothly.
Another issue is something called compensation. When one part of your body can’t move properly, other parts have to pick up the slack. Over time, these compensations can lead to pain and injury in other areas. For example, a BJJ athlete with limited hip mobility might develop knee pain because their knees are compensating for the lack of movement in their hips.
Treating Muscle Adhesions
If you suspect you have adhesions in your muscles, there are a number of treatment options to consider.
Myofascial Release Techniques
Myofascial release techniques are designed to break down adhesions and scar tissue, helping to restore normal muscle function and range of motion.
Some common myofascial release techniques include:
- Foam rolling: Using a foam roller can help release muscle tension and improve flexibility.
- Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), or muscle scraping: Tools like the Graston technique can be used to break down adhesions more directly.
- Muscle flossing: Wrapping a band tightly around a limb and then performing movements can help improve mobility and reduce pain.
Other Treatment Options
In addition to myofascial release, other treatment options can be beneficial:
- Physical therapy: A physical therapist can create a personalized treatment plan to address your specific needs.
- Massage therapy: A massage therapist can manually release muscle tension and improve circulation.
- Heat therapy: Applying heat (like a heating pad or warm shower) can help relieve pain and relax muscles.
- Alternative therapies: Some people find relief with therapies like yoga or acupuncture, which may help reduce pain in the fascia.
How to prevent muscle adhesions
The best way to deal with muscle adhesions is to avoid getting them in the first place.
Here are some things you can do:
- Stay active.
- Pay attention to your posture.
- Warm up and cool down before and after exercise.
- Use good form when you’re working out.
- Listen to your body and stop when something hurts.
- Move and stretch throughout the day.
- Stay hydrated, since water is essential for healthy fascia.
Wrapping Up
Muscle adhesions are a common problem, but there are many effective ways to treat them. Whether you’re using self-care techniques or working with a qualified professional, you can improve your flexibility and reduce your pain.
Take good care of your muscles. And if you have ongoing pain or can’t move as easily as you should, don’t hesitate to get help from a physical therapist or other healthcare provider.