Remedial massage works deep into muscle tissue to stretch and loosen tight or knotted fibres.
A muscle may become tight and tense through excessive or repeated use, through stress or after injury. If a muscle is asked to perform repeatedly any activity to which it is unaccustomed, such as hill walking, painting a ceiling or digging the garden it may respond by tightening. Mental and emotional stress can have the same effect, usually to the shoulders or buttocks. Muscles are also very frequently damaged by a sudden unexpected movement - bending down, slipping or overstretching. This is particularly likely to happen if the muscles are already tight, and even a slight muscle tear can cause the muscle fibres around to tighten to protect the injury, leading to further discomfort and restriction of movement.