DEAR DR. GOTT: My concern is with my daughter who suffers from very tight muscles from her neck to her toes. She exercises nearly daily, goes to the gym several times a week and on occasion has a massage to give her relief. She is 53 years old and on the verge of menopause.
Is there an enzyme, mineral or vitamin that is lacking in her body that causes this malady?
She strives to eat nutritiously.
I would appreciate your valued opinion of what could be the problem as she is uncomfortable and stressed with it.
DEAR READER: Without realizing it, you probably answered your own question. There are countless medical reasons for this to occur and you didn’t mention any related issues in your letter, so I will generalize. The bottom line for the vast majority of people with tight muscles is stress — either mechanical or perceived. It’s the reason why countless people are seen routinely by physicians and physical or massage therapists.
There are two main body systems that can initiate tightness and pain: the brain’s conscious voluntary system or our spinal cord’s unconscious reflex system. Our voluntary system carries messages from the outer layer of the brain through the spinal cord and nerves to those muscles that initiate movements we request of them, such as shaking hands or dialing a telephone. When there isn’t enough time for the voluntary system to process a request for movement, the unconscious reflex system kicks in. Neural receptors in our muscles or skin sense pain from whatever source. Those receptors send signals to the spinal cord, advising it to protect itself by contracting. The end result is tight muscles, necks, backs and shoulders.
Posture plays a big role in joint issues. The head weighs up to 12 pounds, averaging eight to 10 pounds in a fully-grown adult. To stand tall and maintain good posture is grand. To hang your head or slump forward, backward, right, or left is to throw your entire system off. It puts stress, tightness (and pain) on the neck and shoulder muscles and affects the entire body.
Menopause or pre-menopause causes hormonal fluctuations that can result in muscle tension, fatigue, stress, anxiety, muscle spasms, pain, tenderness, and tight back/shoulder/neck and abdominal muscles.
From your letter I believe your daughter is outwardly doing everything she can to combat this by exercising, eating properly, remaining active, and eating nutritious meals. I cannot guess if she has a vitamin/mineral deficiency. Only laboratory testing can provide an answer there. Unless she is found to have a deficiency, supplements will not treat the underlying cause – stress and tension.
Now on to other areas that may not have been investigated. Is your daughter stressed at work or at home? Are there financial issues or family members that without realizing it, place demands on her? Is she having unexplained insomnia and attempting to get through the day without adequate sleep? Is she under good care for her menopausal state? Did she lose a beloved pet? Does she stretch, warm up and cool down properly before and after exercising? I’m generalizing here because only she knows what trigger(s) may be causing undue stress. Once she addresses the issues that may appear inconsequential, she may find her tensions ease up.
In the interim and while I can see she is physically active, she might find stress relief in adding Tai Chi, yoga, chiropractic manipulation or water aerobics to her already busy schedule.
Readers who would like related information can order my Health Report “Menopause” by sending a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and a $2 US check or money order to my attention at PO Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title when writing or print out an order form from my website www.AskDrGottMD.com.
