Tight vs short muscles & massage 

So tight muscles, short muscles, is there even any difference? A short muscle is shortened in length and might therefore decrease our range of motion. It might, in some cases be a source of pain as it might pull other structures into a position they´re not supposed to be in. Yet, a short muscle can be a relaxed muscle, it can feel relaxed and fine, without perceived "knots" or... tightness. 

A tight muscle, might have a normal length in itself (as opposed to "short, though tightness may cause shortness). It feels "tight", tender, even painful and may therefore also cause limited movement. The tight muscle, will need more than just stretching, it will need relaxation. All of the following may help: massage therapy, exercising and stretching, applying heat and using methods such as progressive muscular relaxation. 

Yet often the tightness is an expression of an emotional or psychological aspect, which may ocurr in response to a spontaneous experience or situation, or be a chronic state, built up by past experiences, trauma, mindset... It´s important to aknowledge tightness and give it some "more than one-sided attention".   

As a massage therapist, It´s my goal to help you recover a relaxed muscle, to feel for tightness and loosen the tissues by generating warmth, passively moving joints and limbs, adressing tensions with direct pressure and, within my possibilities, to listen and create a safe space for relaxation.