Discover why stretching isn’t the quick fix for your muscle and joint problems. Learn when it’s helpful and what really works for pain relief in our chiropractic clinic! 💪🔍
Hi there! I’m Dr. Boisvert, canadien chiropractor, and I’m here to tell you that while you’ve probably been told stretching solves everything, it’s not that simple! 🙅♂️
Let’s dive into why and when stretching might be helpful for regional discomfort, when you should avoid it, and finally, what the best scientifically proven tool is for all your muscle and joint pains, including those pesky neuromusculoskeletal issues. 🦴✨
Understanding Neuromusculoskeletal Pain 🤕
Neuromusculoskeletal pain refers to discomfort stemming from the nervous system and musculoskeletal system. Common conditions treated in chiropractic care include chronic back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and tension headaches. These issues can arise from poor posture, overuse injuries, or stress, affecting your quality of life.
First, it’s important to understand why exercises are often recommended all over the Internet—in blogs and videos. It’s simply because they’re easy to do! 🏃♂️ People searching for content on pain relief, like you are now, tend to gravitate towards simple solutions that require minimal effort. Exercises, such as passive stretches for the neck, back, or hips, meet this expectation. That’s why the content you see online often plays into our natural tendency to seek quick fixes.
However, relying on easy solutions in blogs and YouTube videos can dramatically increase the reach of the content without necessarily guaranteeing excellence or expertise. 📈 Many times, these oversimplified approaches miss the underlying complexities of pain management.
So, you’re presented with basic exercises like holding stretches for 5 to 10 seconds and repeating them multiple times a day. But have you ever wondered if these solutions are genuinely effective for you? 🤔 It might surprise you to know that, unfortunately, these stretches are often not helpful in most cases.
What is Stretching and When to Avoid it? 🤸♀️
But before that, let’s discuss why stretching should sometimes be avoided entirely. 🚫
Stretching involves lengthening your muscles and tendons to improve flexibility and range of motion. While this may sound beneficial, it’s essential to differentiate between discomfort and pain. Discomfort is characterized by tension or stiffness that builds up over the day, especially after prolonged static positions. This can activate nociceptive mechanisms that gradually increase sensitivity in a region, prompting you to move preemptively. On the other hand, pain typically feels more intense—rated above 6 on a pain scale—and often comes with pinching sensations, significant loss of movement, and challenges transitioning from sitting to standing or turning in bed.
Regarding stretching, it can be genuinely helpful in managing daily discomfort, but it won’t provide relief for more intense pain. Additionally, even for minor discomforts, stretching falls short compared to the best solution I’ll share with you shortly! 🚀
By nature, stretching is passive. This means you apply tension to a structure in your body—muscles, tendons, ligaments—and this passive stretch affects these components. Unfortunately, in the presence of pain, a passive stretch, without control or preparation, only exacerbates and amplifies the protective mechanisms activated by your brain, which aims to prevent any worsening. Essentially, stretching an already sensitive area could trigger a defensive reaction, intensifying pain rather than alleviating it.
Moreover, performing stretches before physical training—while your musculoskeletal structures are still at rest—can increase your risk of injury. You’re stretching muscles and tendons that aren’t adequately warmed up to handle the sudden increase in tissue tension. ⚠️
Another issue with stretching is that it may provide momentary relief, but once you release the stretch, it triggers a cascade of nociceptive mechanisms, keeping you in a state of discomfort or pain longer than necessary.
If you choose to incorporate stretching into your routine, do so only to relieve discomfort or muscle tension. Avoid repeating them if they trigger pain, and practice them only at the end of your workouts, when your muscles are properly warmed up, targeting the areas you’ve engaged.
The best solution: muscle strengthening 💪
his brings us to the ultimate solution for pain relief, which is infinitely more effective than stretching—even for easing your discomfort: muscle strengthening! 💪
The idea is to identify the range of motion you can tolerate within your “comfort-discomfort” zone and add active stress. This can be done using your hands to create resistance, resistance bands, weights, or any objects available in your home. This resistance promotes active participation from your muscles and tendons, strengthening the joint, recharging your “musculoskeletal battery,” and increasing your tolerance, which may have decreased over time.
There is no perfect exercise applicable to everyone, as musculoskeletal pain can arise from various origins. If you click on the YouTube video linked at the beginning of this article, you’ll find demonstrations of strengthening exercises with our kinesiologist at the clinic that you can perform for different body regions. 📹
For those wondering, there’s no magic number of sets or repetitions to follow. When working on muscle strengthening, the key is to aim for progressive muscle fatigue. This means you should perform repetitions until the targeted area begins to tire. Then, rest for one to five minutes, and repeat if you have the capacity.
Always keep in mind to never push to the point of pain. Listen to your body; let pain guide your recovery, and respect your limits. When you feel fatigued, take a break, and resume your training as soon as you feel better.
Conclusions: Stretching for pain!
If you’re experiencing persistent pain that seems beyond your control, know that we have a comprehensive guide covering things to avoid to help you recover quickly. The link should be available below!
Feel free to share your story, comments, suggestions, or any questions you may have. Don’t forget about my video consultation, secure chat, or in-person visits at my clinic on the South Shore of Montreal. 🏥
Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the chiropractor’s YouTube channel because an informed person is a person in control of their health! 📝✨
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