I personally believe that most pain occurs when there is too much tension applied to soft tissues (muscles/tendons/ligaments/fascia and so on) and the next three postings will explain this in detail.
3-3. Understand what tension can do to our body (The Fundamentals of Pain)
When there is too much tension on a muscle, muscle spindles inside the muscle get activated and detect this excessive tension. Then, they send a signal to the brain, saying that 'there is too much tension going on!' and in turn, the brain sends a 'Relax' signal to the muscle. What would happen if a muscle sustains an excessive tension for a long period of time due to postural/muscle imbalance? Muscle spindles and the brain keep sending signals to each other endlessly, which can make the nervous system sensitive. Once sensitised, the nervous system is likely to be more vulnerable to stress (tensile loads) and develop chronic pain.
A perfect example would be upper trapezius pain. Upper trapezius muscles easily get stretched due to text neck/rounded shoulders/hunched back. Then, they try to go back to their neutral position by contracting because they do not want to be stretched out anymore (Otherwise, they will get torn!). This contraction then increases muscle tension and activates muscle spindles. However, a 'Relax' signal from the brain as a result of muscle spindles' function is likely to worsen the situation, because the upper trapezius muscles will be stretched more when they relax! Therefore, they have no option but to contract constantly to hold onto the skeletons that they are attached to. Imagine 'a constant contraction of a muscle that is being stretched all the time'. This is highly likely to further stress the muscle itself and the nervous system too, possibly causing chronic pain.
Evidence also suggests that a combination of tensile and compressive loads can be detrimental, which will be discussed in the next posting.
Mr.Physio
I personally believe that most pain occurs when there is too much tension applied to soft tissues (muscles/tendons/ligaments/fascia and so on) and the next three postings will explain this in detail.
For more information, click the link below (Free program)
‘[HEALTH 101] The Secret To Living A Healthy, Fit & Pain-Free Life’
www.mrphysio.net/p/health-breathing-and-core-basic…
3-3. Understand what tension can do to our body (The Fundamentals of Pain)
When there is too much tension on a muscle, muscle spindles inside the muscle get activated and detect this excessive tension. Then, they send a signal to the brain, saying that 'there is too much tension going on!' and in turn, the brain sends a 'Relax' signal to the muscle. What would happen if a muscle sustains an excessive tension for a long period of time due to postural/muscle imbalance? Muscle spindles and the brain keep sending signals to each other endlessly, which can make the nervous system sensitive. Once sensitised, the nervous system is likely to be more vulnerable to stress (tensile loads) and develop chronic pain.
A perfect example would be upper trapezius pain. Upper trapezius muscles easily get stretched due to text neck/rounded shoulders/hunched back. Then, they try to go back to their neutral position by contracting because they do not want to be stretched out anymore (Otherwise, they will get torn!). This contraction then increases muscle tension and activates muscle spindles. However, a 'Relax' signal from the brain as a result of muscle spindles' function is likely to worsen the situation, because the upper trapezius muscles will be stretched more when they relax! Therefore, they have no option but to contract constantly to hold onto the skeletons that they are attached to. Imagine 'a constant contraction of a muscle that is being stretched all the time'. This is highly likely to further stress the muscle itself and the nervous system too, possibly causing chronic pain.
Evidence also suggests that a combination of tensile and compressive loads can be detrimental, which will be discussed in the next posting.
1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 32