It depends!

Muscle spasm, nerve tension, stiff joints, inhibited muscles, tightness are a few common (not normal) dysfunctions we and our clients may experience due to our lifestyles today.

Each of these impact and relate to each other as our body is an integrated system AND a true master of compensation.

When you consider that the nervous system sends messages to the muscles to move them, the muscles create tension and pull on the bones as levers to produce movement and that this movement is noted by the proprioceptors, controlled by the nervous system, it would be prudent to accept that a problem in one area can directly influence another, don't you agree?

So What?

So how does that influence YOU as a PT or exercise professional since we are not trained to diagnose, nor treat, nor in many cases even assess these things in our clients?

Well it would most certainly influence your exercise choice since these type of issues can result in injuries, eventually BECOME painful, also limiting, when we ask clients to move we may see strange things happen AND eventually they can also result in more clinical issues like RSI, sciatica, disc herniations, impingement issues and ligament problems etc.

In fact WE are perfectly placed to reduce these risks and prepare our clients better for movement since we see them regularly for exercise advice. So if we can recognise issues like these and address them BEFORE they become a more clinical issues this would be a great thing wouldn't it!?

One example of this is the common issue of 'tight' hamstrings which we hear all of the time. Maybe your client, or even YOU, have apparently 'tight' hamstrings that do not seem to improve even when stretched religiously?!

During our professional education we are trained to stretch short or tight muscles however this is assuming that they are in fact 'tight' (see previous blog ASSUMPTIONS).

If you are stretching and your hamstrings and they are not improving then it might be smart to consider that they may actually be 'hanging on' for different reason!

What's the problem?

One of the most common intrinsic biomechanical issues relating to hamstring problems is when the sciatic nerve becomes tethered. The sciatic nerve runs down the back of the leg in close relationship with the hamstring

Now this tension, as mentioned, is often not a clinical issue (although if unaddressed can become one), you may have no pain but simply notice limited range and restriction.

So WE as PT's and exercise professionals are really best placed to understand how to assess and correct dysfunctions like mobilising and improving range though the nervous system which includes the back of the leg.

We will be directly influencing these areas when we ask our client to squat, deadlift, down dog, burpeez or even sit down, so should we not be preparing areas like the nervous system for these moment too?

Often the tethering can be caused by muscle spasm in the pelvis - muscles like piriformis, which also has a close relationship with the sciatic nerve, and this then restricts the range available to the nervous system with movements around the hip like hip flexion. for example.

Unaddressed this can result in more clinical issues like Sciatica which go beyond our remit and require us to refer to a good therapist.

What can WE do?

A combination of muscle releases and sciatic nerve mobilisations are a good way to find your hamstrings true full range. If we use a more subtle approach it can have astounding affects and in my professional experience it more often than not does!

It is not ALL about stretching!!!

Learn how to assess the sciatic nerve AND release it...

<a href="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/workshop/pelvic-biomechanics/">CLICK HERE</a>