chronically tight abdominal and oblique muscles

It is very common for people to come in with overly tight rectus abdominus muscles. These are the ab muscles people focus on by doing crunches (and situps, god forbid!) It is unusual to have tight obliques - usually people come in with undertoned obliques. In any case, have you tried acupuncture? Acupuncture is remarkable for resetting tight muscles, including in the abdominal wall. But it doesn't make sense to just keep doing acupuncture (or massage) or any band-aid approach indefinitely. You want to relax the abdominal muscles and then encourage them not to tighten up again. Here's where pelvic anteversion (a tipped forward pelvis with your tail out behind you) comes in. Stacksitting, tallstanding and side stretchlying should all help with this. In this way you will maintain the gain you attain without pain...

Best of luck!

Not necessarily ( you could do physical activity with a retroverted pelvis and still have flaccid abs), but yes, if you are using your abs in your physical activity.

Acupuncturists tend to be generalists, and appropriately so. I wouldn't look for a specialist. Look for someone who has good training and experience, and is present and cares. Acupuncture is very safe (ask if the person uses disposable needles) and is the least sued health profession.