The human body is an amazing machine. Instead of listing the many incredible physical, mental and emotional components, I will simply say that it is a machine. And like any machine, over time and overuse, it breaks down. In a perfect word (where the environment was alway optimal and people were educated in all facets of nutriton and proper exercise technique) pains, soreness and twinges would still occur. In our imperfect word, environment and lack of knowledge, INJURIES (especially over use injuries) occur.
I do believe that no athlete or common joe embarks on a fitness program or sport with the intention of injuring themselve…that would be sheer stupidity. The intention of most and I dare say all is a goal of bettering oneself. Therefor it is my conclusion that most injuries occur from lack of education; either regarding the technique to be applied and applied properly or not adequately supplying their ‘machine’ with the proper fuel and lubrication.
Let me define ‘injuries’ for this specific blog. I will discuss over use injuries resulting from muscular imbalances. It is important to note that the above ‘injury’ list is not the only types a person can have and the above listed have a ripple effect; one leads to the next.
I can explain and summerize both muscular imbalances and over use injuries together. As a personal trainer and now trigger point therapist, muscular imbalances constitue 85% of the ‘over use’ injuries I see. A muscular imbalance in the human body, simply stated, means one muscle is stronger than the antogonistic muscle. For every muscle in the human body that performs one action there is and equal and opposite (or should be) force applied by an antogonistic muscle. This equal ‘pull’ is what keeps joints stable, secure and in place. The problem arises when you have one antagonist ’stronger’ or pulling a joint from one side than it’s opposite counterpart. The result is a joint that gets ‘pulled’ out of it’s natural position. This displacement of the joint causes a battery of differnt breakdowns to occur.
First, the joint is out of place. So obviously the bone is removed from it’s nice cushy hollow. Now everytime you move your shoulder or knee the bone SCRAPES across another bone causing friction and breakdown of that particular surface. The body’s natural reaction is to rush water to that area to put out the fire (decrease the friction). As the water continues to flow between the area of bones rubbing together (over a long period of time), as in nature and water rushing over a stone, eventually a gully forms or divet in the bones. Again the body responds, naturally, to fill this now huge (relatively speaking) divet in the bones and rushes calcium deposits to the area to fill the ‘holes’. An VIOLA…we have arthritis.
No arthritis is not an old age condition…it is a wear and tear condition. Although, as I mentioned before the body takes a normal amount of wear and tear even in a perfect world, the process can definietly be slowed by a joint be in place and not out of place.
Let’s continue…
Now the bone has been pulled out of place by a muscular imbalance. Bone condition and adaption has been discussed now lets talk about the opposing muscles, tendons and ligaments. When a muscle is stronger on one side of the joint the opposing muscle has to work double time to ‘try’ to pull the bone to which it is attached, back into proper position. The problem is two fold. First, whatever activity, job or body postion a person is doing or performing to cause the muscles on one side of the joint to become ’stronger’, common sense would tell you that they are not applying an equal amount of attention to the muscles on the other side of the joint. So the muscles in front become stronger; muscles in the back become weaker. Next, the activity creating a ’stronger’ muscle in the front of the joint is actually causing a foreshortening of those particualr muscle fibers used all the time. They actually become less flexible. So the muscles in the back must now fight against the STRENGTH of the muscles in the front and the INFLEXIBILITY/FORESHORTENING of the muscles in the front. These poor weak, overstretched muscles in the back of the joint don’t have a fighting chance…they become exhausted and overtaxed resulting in huge ‘knots’ from muscular spasms.
YES…most of the time the point of pain is NOT the source of pain…it’s referred from another area!
Probably the most common injury I see are shoulder injuries. A clear example of the above information will help clarify what I’m talking about. Most people have suffered tendinitis in the front of the shoulder. For those of you who have not…consider your self LUCKY…and probably doing something right! As for those who have…my sympathy but it is a great example of muscular imbalance and overuse injuries.
The shoulder capsule is facinating. It is made up of a ball and socket joint with several muscular attachments. I’m not here to give an anatomy lesson…if you are interested…look it up on Grey’s website. Anyway, we will refer to muscles in the front of the body (standing position with arms at the side; palms facing forward) and muscle in the back (all the other ones on the other side). Basically, we work in a 2 x 2 square box, at chest level. When I say this statement, I mean our Range of Motion (ROM) for our arm/shoulder joint movements, daily. Most people work at a desk, at a computer, picking up the kids in and out of bed, tub etc, doctors, nurses, carpenter, construction workers…think of your job and daily duties. How many times a day does your lifestyle require you to take your arms outside of that 2 x 2 box right in front of you? When was the last time you took your arms over your head or behind your back? (DON’T DO IT NOW!)…you will probably get an injury! Although the shoulder have tremendous ROM abilities…we very rarely use them. We essentially get stuck in a box in the front of our body causing the muscles to strengthen and foreshorten in the front and the muscles in the back to become overstretched and weak!
So now a situation arises where you have to take your ROM out of the box…let’s say you started to exercise and you want to bench press. You lay back, unrack the bar and lower the bar to the chest causing the shoulder to move out of the position it has been locked into for months…maybe years and VIOLA…instant pain in the front of the shoulder. NO KIDDING!
That tiny little ligament in the front of the shoulder that holds the humerous bone to the clavical hasn’t been stretched like that in forever…and it certainly wasn’t ready! It essentially ‘cracks’ causing inflammation. The anterior deltoid (muscle in the front of the shoulder) overstretches outside of it’s typical positon and the result…tendinitis.
Senirio Two: You do 30 sets of chest and 9-12 sets of back in a typical chest/back workout. Result…eventually…muscular imbalance…tendonitis in the AC ligament…anterior deltoid. You basically exhauste the muslce in the front from OVER USING them…they become stronger and shorter…pull the joint out of place and like magic…tendonitis.
From both scenerios…RESULT…knots in you ‘back’ muscles, stiff neck, tennis elbow and shoulder impingments…just to name a few more.
YES MOST IMPINGMENT CONDITIONS CAN BE FIXED WITHOUT SURGERY!!!!!! So can tennis elbow, stiff necks and all those ‘knots’ in your back!
Baring any direct physical trauma, most injuries I see are a result of long time muscular imbalances, rippling into joint displacement, tendonitis and arthritis.
I dare to say muscular tears, ACL injuries and other sport related injuries are also a result of muscular imbalance/weakness.
Now let’s talk about hydration…I preach on this topic a lot because nothing functions properly or heals properly with out it! When people come to me with aches and pains, my first question is how much water do you drink a day? Water is the medium for every single process in the body. When you are dehydrated, your body will STRIP water from joints and muscles to supply vital organs. The result is less elastic muscles, tendon and ligaments and then injury. Not only do your muscles, tendons and ligaments have to be equally strong and flexible…but they also have to be pliable…
Caffinated and beverages contain alcohol are dierurtics and will further dehydrate you! SO DRINK WATER!
Hydration is key for flexibility, muscular contraction/relaxation, growth, healing and recovery (both during and after a workout). Again, I’m not going into the exact science of the process…but a little research on your part will go a long way.
The best power you have is educaiton. Learn how to have the healthiest body for whatever sport or in your daily life. When I say ‘Train Smart’ I’m not only referring to the conditioning in the muscular sense…but in the nutriton sense and educaiton sense. Proper fuel, technique, movement and attitude go a long way!
Be Well…
Tracey
