The human body is a homeostasis machine. Our bodies like to be at baseline: baseline body temperature, baseline hydration, baseline movement level, and our bodies are very clever about how they maintain that normal level. When it comes to the musculoskeletal system and how we move, our brains are constantly adapting to our external and internal environment. As we grow stronger, less force is required, and if our training fades, compensations have to be ordered. The goal is to be in the middle, to marry mobility and stability so that our bodies can move fluidly with force, but that is easier said than done.
Some bodies are more mobile at baseline than others: loose and stretchy. We all know people who have always been able to bend over to touch the floor. Or maybe you know someone who is “double-jointed” or hypermobile: able to move some or all of their joints beyond what baseline is for most. More mobile bodies require more intervention from the musculoskeletal system to get back to baseline because their foundation, their connective tissue, is typically less rigid and provides less structural support.
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That is important to consider because if you are someone who is generally flexible or hypermobile and you have an injury it is likely not something that needs to stretch. Often, your body is looking to find that middle ground, homeostasis again, and muscles are stiffening up to compensate for that difference in structural integrity. If stretching and mobility don’t change symptoms and your activity level continues to suffer, it may be time to start strengthening the pieces of the puzzle instead of stretching them.
On the contrary, there are imbalances in mobility that can contribute to injury. If your body is limited in the range of motion due to restrictions at the joint or muscular level, then it will be challenged in completing tasks. This imbalance in mobility can lead to compensations that develop into problematic patterns and eventually injuries. Mobility can be described as a tolerance for time-under-tension, or the ability for joints and muscles to adapt at end ranges of motions and typically that is the way to develop and train mobility. To gain more range of motion in functional positions and movements, you have to spend time at the end range of those movements.
This post should give you an idea about where to start with your current limitations. If the joint in question is already mobile, it requires strengthening. If there are range-of-motion restrictions, then working on mobility is the place to start. If you are unsure about where your body falls on the spectrum: < Mobility <> Stability >, then it is time to check in with the Osteopractic experts at Precision where we start with a comprehensive screening to determine where to start to get you back on track to achieving your goals. —PrecisionOPT.com—
