The title relates to the reaction of the human body's muscles to moments of overexertion or stress. In these situations, muscles experience involuntary and repetitive compressions that can lead to conditions such as contractures. To portray this, the piece incorporates various musical elements at different points. For example, the progressive accumulation of pitches creates a sensation of "compression" of pitches. Similarly, the use of metric modulations evokes a sense of rhythmic "compression."