Targeted Stretching
Article
by Jesse Cannone
Stretching can be great, but it can
also make existing injuries worse or even bring about new ones! The key
to making stretching work for you is knowing which stretches you need to
be working on. Just because a muscle feels tight, that doesn’t necessarily
mean it needs to be stretched. For example, many people stretch the hamstrings
because they feel tight and they think the hamstrings are limiting their
flexibility. The fact is, most of the time the hamstrings are “tight” because
they are constantly being pulled / lengthened due to muscle imbalances
that tip the pelvis forward.
When the pelvis tips forward due to
muscle imbalances, the hamstrings get pulled upward and are constantly
held in a stretched position. And this is why millions of people can stretch
their hamstrings every day and never make any improvement in their flexibility….
Are you one of those people?
If you are, you need to stop stretching
your hamstrings and find out exactly which muscles you need to be targeting
by reading the rest of this article. Not only does this forward tipping
of the pelvis (which is caused by muscle imbalances) keep the hamstrings
tight and make it very difficult to make improvements in the muscles flexibility,
but it also leads to the following:
- Increased stress / wear and tear
from the ankles all the way up the spine
For example, the forward tipping of
the pelvis places uneven pressure on the ankle, knee and hip joints and
also on many of the vertebrae in the spine.
- Weakens the hamstrings, inhibits
normal functioning and increases the likelihood of hamstring pulls
When the hamstrings are constantly
being strained because of the muscle imbalances, the muscle is weak, not
able to function as it normally would, prone to injury and without correcting
the muscle imbalance, recovery can take up to 9 months to a year or longer!
- Creates excess curvature in the
lower and middle spine
This tipping of the pelvis places
excessive amounts of abnormal stress on the muscles, vertebrae and discs
in the lower and mid spine and this sets you up for potential injuries
to the muscles of the lower and middle back. Plus, it also causes the discs
between your vertebrae to wear down and deteriorate much faster than they
normally would and this sets you up for degenerative, bulging, protruding
and herniated discs along with numerous other spinal conditions like arthritis,
spinal stenosis, and the oh so popular sciatica!
This hamstring example is just one
of many. Muscle imbalances are responsible for nearly every ache, pain,
injury and condition out there! Here are a few more examples of injuries
/ conditions that are caused by muscle imbalances and can easily be prevented
and/or eliminated with targeted stretches and exercises:
- shoulder injuries (rotator cuff)
- upper back and neck pain
- elbow and wrist pain (carpal tunnel,
tennis/golfer/baseball elbow, etc)
- knee pain (runners knee, chondromalacia,
ligament tears, etc)
- hip pain (IT band syndrome, bursitis,
etc)
- ankle pain (Achilles tendonitis,
shin splints, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, etc)
All of these conditions are caused
by muscle imbalances and will NOT go away unless you work towards correcting
the imbalances… and the only way to know for sure which imbalances are
causing your pain or injury is to do a series of physical assessments like
the ones covered in our Lose
The Back Pain Video which is designed for anyone suffering from back
pain or sciatica.
What is a targeted stretch?
This is a question we are asked often
and here’s the definition we give it:
Targeted Stretch - a stretch or stretching
exercise that is chosen, based on physical assessments, to target a specific
muscle or muscle group to increase the flexibility and range of motion
in that area and bring the bones and or joints back towards the normal
position. When you compare a targeted stretch to general stretches like
the ones found in Yoga, Pilates and the ones your doctor, chiropractor
or physical therapist gives you, it’s no surprise they give little or no
pain relief and almost always fail to get rid of the problem.
Conclusion
Remember, the key to eliminating injuries
and preventing future ones is to identify what areas you need to target.
Article courtesy of Jesse Cannone of Lose The Back
Pain