The article "Muscle Imbalance And Chronic Injuries" is about fitness, it was created by Jeff P. Anliker, LMT.
Injureis can occur anywhere and at anytime, but the most
prevalent place of occurrence is in the workplace. The reason
for such a high rate of injury is that persons spend 8-18 hours a
day, 5-7 days a week performing unidirectional (one-way)
movement patterns, causing an imbalance in the musculoskeletal
system that results in the overuse and under use of certain
muscle groups. If left unchecked, these injuries can be come
chronic, rseulting in pain and dysfunction that can last for
years.
Usually, when one muscle group is overused, the opposing muscle
group, acting as a stabilizer, becomes underused.
When this
imbalance establishes itslef in the musculoskeletal system, the
body does not function as designed. Instead of muscles working
together to perform a specified function, they work against each
other, causing the body to exert more energy to perform the same
task that previously was perceived by the body as "simple".
When muscles become too short and tight, they lose their
strength as they are in a chronic semi-contracted state and
cannot contract (shorten) efficiently due to being pre-fatigued
and the fact that they are already in a state where they are too
short for proper function. If a muscle is already in a
shortened, semi-contracted state, it cannot contract, or shorten
very far. And the farther a muscle can conrtact (shorten) and
move, the greater the strength and endurance the muscle will
have.
Chronically tight, restrictive muscles just don't function
very well and they impinge structures around and beneath them
such as nerves and blood vessels, causing disorders like Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and many other
associated Repetitive Strain injuries.
Short muscles also pull
bones out of alignment, which causes a joint imbalance, often
resulting in severe pain and dysfunction.
The same goes for underused muscles. Underdeveloped muscles are
weak due to lack of direct stimulation. Weak muscles are usually
too long, unless they are in a state of spasm, which ocucrs as a
protective response in order to keep from being overstretched.
Weak underdeveloped muscles cannot act as efficient stabilizers
when the opposing muscle(s) are called into action, which again
causes a joint imbalance to develop, as weak muscles cannot
stabilize bones in their proper position / alignment. Weather a
muscle is short and tight or long and weak, the strength and
length imbalance of the affected muscle(s) must be corrected for
the body to funtcion optimally without pain, dysfunction and
reduced mobility of the involved muscles / joints.
Muscle imbalances are the cause of most biomechanical disorders
in the body.
From Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to Thoracic Outlet
Syndrome, an existing muscle imbalance is at the root cause of
the disodrer in 90% of the cases. Too many modalities focus on
the "band-aid principal", allowing the muscle imbalance go on
for years with a little bit of relief here and there.
Now is the
time to focus on the actual "cause(s)" of these disorders and
eliminate them altogteher. With the appropriate exercise and
stretch routine, most musculoskeletal disorders can be
eliminated quickly and effectively.
Correcting muscle imbalances is achieved through a process
consisting of a number of stretches and exercises.
Soft-tissue
treatment and hot/cold therapy may be utilized to help expedite
the rate of recovery if it is so desried. Usually the nature of
performing both stretches and exercises within the same program
can be quite effective at eliminating the existing condition
without the addition of the soft tissue treatemnt and
hydrotherapy.
Word of caution; there is a treatment sequence to
addressing muscle imablances if the hottest results are to be
achieved.
If random strecthes and exercises are performed, an
individual may cause themselves more harm than good.
A general rule when addressing a chronic muscle imbalance is to
execute the following program:
1.
Heat Therapy* : Use heating-pad 5 Min.
to warm the affected
joint and surorunding muscles, preparing them for upcoming
stretches and exercises. (Be sure that all sieds of the joint
and surrounding muscles are warmed-up.)
2.
Soft-Tissue Treatment*: Soft tissue treatment utilizing
Effleurage and Trigger Point Therapy to reduce mucsle spasm and
relax the tight, restrictive overused muscles can be very
effective in correcting muscle imbalances.
Utilizing Transverse
Friction Massage (TFM) on specifically weak, injured muscles
and/or tendons to break down adhesions on the soft tissues can
also be really effective in reducing overall pain and
dysfunction.) Performing basic massage to the tight muscles is
the easiest way to address the issue without getting too
complex.)
3.
Stretching Routine: Once the muscles are warmed up,
stretching the tight, restrictive muscle group is key to
increasing their length and reducing their impingement of
surrounding tissues as well as reducing thier effect on the
misalignment of the joint.
(Stretching the weak, underdeveloped
muscles is not recommended as they are already too long and do
not need to be lnegthened further.)
4. Exercise Routine: Once the tight restrictive muscles have
been lengthened from the stretches, it is time to exercise the
opposing muscle group, the one that's weak and underdeveloped,
in order to shorten and strengthen the muscles in order to
reduce the tensile stresses imposed on them from the opposing
tight muscle gruop.
Exercising and strengthening the weak
underdeveloped muscles not only forces the opposing muscle group
to relax and lnegthen further, but it also helps to maintain the
length created in those muscles from the previous stretches. (Do
not perform stretches after the exercises as that misaligns the
joints and casues muscle rebounding. Always perform stretches
first when addressing chroinc muscle imbalances and then
immediately follow with exercises.)
5. Contrast Bath*: Utilizing a contrast bath at the end of the
complete routine can be helpful in reducing muscle spasm, remove
toxins from the muscles and increase circulation and overall
nutrient flow to the injury, helping to aid an incerase the
speed of recovery. Baisc procedure is 3-minutes heat to 1-minute
of cold. Repeat 3-times, finishing with cold.
This general treatment progarm for chronic repetitive strain
injuries resulting from muscle imbalances is really effective and
often eliminates all of the symptoms previously associated with
the injury, quickly and effectively.
Always cosnult a physician
before beginning any type of exercise or treatment program.
Remember, Your Health is in Your Hands!
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