Why Isn't Stretching Working?

There is a reason why stretching every day is not getting you anywhere. There are different types of mobility and strength issues that can tell you different information and need to be dealt with in different ways. Is this a deeper joint restriction, muscular, neurological or a motor control issue? A common example is if you can't lift you arm over head people will blame their tight lats. However if you have been stretching them fo

r years with little progress it may be from a different issue. Identifying the difference between thoracic spine extension or the shoulder is a good place to start. Then, from there figuring out what that region cannot do. Your training will be much more beneficial when you are working on the root cause with the correct tool. You need to tailor your mobility exercises to what you want to achieve. After an evaluation you will walk away with better strategies to address your personal mobility issues rather than repetitive stretch/foam rolling. If you can learn better movement patterns you will be able to live a higher quality life. 

Classifying Mobility 

People often treat all mobility and strength issues the same way, with stretching, massage and adjustments every day hoping for a new result. Identifying which type of mobility issue you have can help to narrow down which treatment might be most effective. We will go through an assessment on how to decide where to budget your time to maximize your mobility. 

Joint Restriction

This is when there is not enough space inside of the joint to move freely. A joint is where two bones connect. They typically do not rub up against each other directly but have some space between them. If there is not enough space then you may feel a pinch as you close down on the joint. Addressing deeper tissues and mobilizing the joint with adjustments can help address this. Following up with mobility and strength exercises will help maintain this. 

Muscular Restriction 

The next type are what most people think of when they hear mobility. These are tense bands of muscle that are pulling and not allowing full range of motion. This is felt like a stretch that slow ramps up as you move through your range of motion. These types of restrictions are slow to change and respond well to soft tissue work, stretching, cupping and muscle scraping. Lengthening the muscle followed by strengthening are the best way to approach this. 

Neurological Protection

This type of mobility and strength issue comes from the brain protecting the joint from ranges of motion deemed unsafe. If your brain is not comfortable doing an activity it will panic and cause the muscle to tighten up to stop you. This does not mean that you are imagining things, it just means that the body is not ready to move. The entire muscle will rapidly tighten up. These issues are much quicker to change by doing some gentle muscle activation so the joint and brain know that it is safe to move and remove those barriers.

Motor control

This last one is not a true mobility problem. Sometime there is a gap between active and passive ranges. This comes up in people who have the passive flexibility but lack the active control over a joint. If you can stretch your hamstring with a strap up over your head but cannot lift the leg as high on your own without the band then this may describe you. This is typically more of a stability problem and requires more strengthening and practice in those positions. 

As you can see, there are many different reasons why one might have a mobility and strength issue. Different types of problems need different types of solutions. Making sure that you are using the right tools for the job help guide your treatment and your exercise programming. Doing certain mobility exercises can be a helpful way to approach your running injury rehab. Reach out for a consultation and figure out how to approach your unique situation.