If your muscles became tight due to trauma (injury, stress, illness), you may still be holding on to this tension years later when this protective mechanism is no longer required.
This type of tension can be hard to shift however through developing awareness and through integration of movement and soft tissue therapy, you can let it go.
Did you know that when you get injured, some muscle groups will effectively switch off in order to protect you from further injury. The issue is, they don’t always switch themselves back on once recovered, hence some people continue to feel pain and discomfort.
Think of it like a road block. Road A is the quickest route to the coast but there’s been an accident and road A is now closed. The diversion points to road B, which takes 10 minutes longer, but still gets you there. A few weeks later, Road A is now open, but you’ve discovered Route B which is far more scenic, so you continue to use Road B. The problem with Road B is it wasn’t designed for regular use of heavy vehicles so it’s developing damage.
Your body is doing a similar thing. It doesn’t care what route it takes to make a movement, it will do whatever it needs to. Over time, if it continues to use the less efficient route, you will develop over use injuries.
I am currently working with a client who had a virus over 20 years ago that affected her nervous system and has had lasting effects on the way she moves. However, what we have uncovered is her instinctive holding patterns which her body put in place to protect her years ago are still very much active.
Her right hip has the ability to relax through soft tissue intervention, but unconsciously she was tightening it up almost immediately, this left it very stiff and compromised her ability to walk easily.
I got her to work on consciously relaxing her hip muscles, followed by a series of activations, which is still a work in progress but really impressive improvements after just one week. As her hip relaxes, she is able to learn to control the muscles we want to use better, which in turn will help her walk more easily.
Our bodies are extremely good at protecting us from further injury. What they aren’t good at is returning to normal usage patterns once the injury has healed.
If you have a history of chronic pain that just won’t go away, I can help you become more aware of where you are holding tension and help you let it go. For more information book your complimentary exploratory call now.
I am Sabrina Qua - Soft Tissue Therapist, Movement Coach and Personal Trainer based in Worcester Park, Epsom, who helps people resolve or significantly reduce their muscular aches and pains through an integrative approach, so they can live active, enjoyable lives. More tips and information available in my Facebook group Reduce Pain and Move Better.