Educational reference
About this symptom
Muscle tension is the physical component of sustained anxiety: tightness in the shoulders, neck, jaw or back, clenching, difficulty relaxing physically, and sometimes aching or headaches that follow from holding muscles taut over long periods.
People frequently do not connect it to anxiety at all, and may seek help for the headaches, jaw pain or back pain rather than the worry underlying them. Others notice it only when it stops.
It is a recognised feature of generalised anxiety, where the body remains braced over sustained periods rather than in response to a specific threat. It also occurs with poor sleep, sustained stress, and physical causes including posture, injury and arthritis.
Because it is physical, it responds to physical approaches: applied relaxation, breathing techniques and physical activity all address it directly, and are commonly used alongside psychological therapy.