Is chronic back or shoulder tension limiting your movement? An expert explains what to do

CNN

a day ago

Dana Santas, known as the 'Mobility Maker,' is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, and is the author of the book 'Practical Solutions for Back Pain Relief.'
That persistent tension in your back, hip or shoulder never seems to fully resolve despite stretching before and after workouts, foam rolling, and even visiting a massage therapist regularly.
In fact, sometimes the tightness feels worse after stretching. If this situation sounds familiar, your body might not just be tight — it may be protecting itself through involuntary muscle contractions.
Recognizing the distinction between mechanical tightness and protective tension is crucial for anyone experiencing chronic stiffness, recurring pain or short-term mobility gains that just won't stick.
Your nervous system constantly monitors your body for potential threats — not just external dangers, but internal instabilities and areas of weakness or injury. When your body detects a risk to physical function, it responds by creating protective tension to limit movement in vulnerable areas.
This protective response can be triggered by various factors: poor posture or movement patterns that create misalignment, chronic stress that keeps your body in a heightened state of alert, joint instability that makes your nervous system feel unsafe, or past injuries that never fully healed. Unlike simple mechanical muscle tightness from overuse, protective tension is your body's attempt to generate stability where it perceives a lack.
As a mobility coach in professional sports, I am constantly assessing my clients to ensure that we don't overlook areas where protective tension is present. It's important to acknowledge and address it as soon as possible to avoid it becoming counterproductive. Otherwise, what starts as an initially helpful safeguard can evolve into chronic tension that limits movement, creates pain, and resists traditional stretching and soft-tissue release techniques, such as massage and foam rolling.
How can you tell whether your stiffness is protective rather than mechanical?
In my experience, there are four primary indicators:
1. Areas that feel worse after stretching are a major red flag. If you consistently stretch a tight spot in your back or neck only to experience fleeting relief that gives way to increased painful restriction, your nervous system may be responding to what it perceives as a threat by creating even more guarding.
2. One-sided tension that doesn't respond to bilateral stretching can indicate a protective response. For example, if only your right hip flexor feels tight despite stretching both sides equally, your nervous system may be guarding that specific area for a reason — perhaps due to residual effects of an old injury, pelvic misalignment, joint instability or weakness on that side.
3. Recurring tightness in the same areas despite consistent stretching is another strong indicator. If you've been doing hamstring stretches regularly for months without lasting improvement, the issue may not be muscle length but nervous system protection.
4. Painful stiffness that varies dramatically in intensity based on stress levels, sleep quality or emotional state also suggests protective guarding. Basic mechanical tightness happens in direct correlation with physical activity, abating within a few days. In contrast, protective tension is more chronic and fluctuates with the overall state of your nervous system.
If you recognize any of these potential symptoms of protective tension in yourself, see your doctor to determine whether you have any underlying injuries or other pathological issues requiring additional treatment.
When you have protective tension, remember that it's a nervous system reaction rather than strictly a muscular condition. You cannot simply 'stretch out' impacted muscles. Too often, traditional stretching can actually increase tightening by forcing deep muscle lengthening that makes your nervous system feel threatened.
A gentler, more comprehensive, mind-body approach that addresses your overall nervous system state is necessary to help your body feel safe enough to let go so that you can begin working to reestablish healthy patterns of movement.
Regular practices that promote nervous system regulation, such as breathing exercises, meditation and walks in nature, can help decrease stress levels and help your body let go of guarding patterns.
Core stability and postural control also play crucial roles in helping your nervous system feel safe. A strong, stable core helps provide the foundation your nervous system needs to allow mobility in other areas. If your deep stabilizing muscles aren't doing their jobs effectively, your nervous system may create tension in other areas to compensate.
Sleep quality directly affects your nervous system's threat detection sensitivity. Poor sleep can make your nervous system more reactive, leading to increased protective tension even in response to normal daily activities.
For best results, work with a physical therapist or qualified trainer who is familiar with protective tension to determine the most appropriate corrective exercises for your specific needs.
Before attempting any mobility work, spend a few minutes focusing on deep, rhythmic breathing to downregulate your nervous system and shift it into a more receptive state.
Practice five or six rounds of a stress-relieving 5-7-3 breathing pattern: Inhale for a count of five, exhale for seven and pause for a count of three before the next breath.
Your breath directly influences your nervous system: Slow, controlled breathing signals safety, putting you into a parasympathetic 'rest-and-restore' state, while rapid, shallow breathing can trigger a sympathetic 'fight-or-flight' state, triggering more guarding.
Try to maintain slow, deep, conscious breathing during any stretching and mobility training. Start with gentle, controlled movements that stay within your comfortable range of motion rather than pushing to your end range. This approach keeps your nervous system from sounding the alarm, showing it that movement can be safe and controlled rather than forced or aggressive.
To create lasting results, combine mobility work with strength training for stability. Protective tension often exists because your nervous system doesn't trust that a joint or region is strong or stable enough to handle the demands placed on it. By improving strength and control, you are building the stability your body needs to feel supported.
Finally, be sure to prioritize adequate rest and recovery. A well-rested nervous system will be far more willing to release guarding mechanisms and allow functional movement.
Remember, your body's protective responses aren't obstacles to overcome: They are intelligent communications about what your inner systems need to feel safe and function optimally. When you honor this wisdom, you're laying the foundation for sustainable mobility and pain relief.
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