Muscles contract. That’s the basis of strength training, toning, working your abs, and the like. A muscle contraction happens in just the muscle. It’s an increase in tension when muscles go to work. There are a number of terms that are related to muscle contraction, but mean something slightly different.

For example, the term contracture describes a response that muscles, their tendons, and other nearby soft tissues can have to stimuli. (Stimuli can take many forms. An injury such as a muscle tear, comes to mind.) Contracture may be one of the things affecting your posture.

Contracture

In a contracture, the soft tissues of different types shorten, and thereby limit range of motion, or the amount of movement you can get in a joint. The joint is composed of 2 bones that fit together. Right where they fit is space, which is where movement happens. The shape and tightness of the fit is only one thing that determines range of motion. The condition of the soft tissue, i.e. the joint capsule, tendons, ligaments and muscles all go into this equation, as well.

So a contracture can be caused by a number of things, from just being tight to arthritis, to something the nervous system is orchestrating (like spasticity in people with cerebral palsy) to scar tissue and fiber created by an injury, surgery or a long period of immobility. And contracture can affect a number of soft tissue types, as mentioned above.

Contractures and Posture Problems

Contractures can play a role in posture conditions like scoliosis and kyphosis. With only few exceptions, you can’t go wrong with stretching to release contracture and restore good posture.

Source:
Kinser, C., Colby, LA, Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations and Techniques. 4th ed. F.A. Davis Company. Philadelphia. 2002.