Muscle contraction is the tightening, shortening, or lengthening of muscles when you do some activity. It can happen when you hold or pick up something, or when you stretch or exercise with weights.

Skeletal muscle is the type of muscle that controls movement. Problems with these muscles can be minor, life-threatening, or ongoing problems that make it hard to perform basic daily activities.

A deep tissue massage targets deep layers of muscle and the surrounding tissues. People may choose this type of massage to treat sports injuries or chronic pain. In this article, we look at the ...