COMMUNITY: Tension needs more than a stretch

Editor's note; Cody Scharf is the owner of Thrive Spine and Sport, a chiropractic and soft tissue clinic in Cedar Rapids focusing on sport and overuse injuries. Scharf is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic and certified through Integrative Diagnosis for the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue injuries.

By Cody Scharf, community contributor

For the lucky few, implementing stretching into their daily routine has provided increased flexibility and pain relief.

Unfortunately, the majority who have added stretching activities to their lives find themselves just as 'tight” and in just as much pain.

Muscles do what they are told. If the nervous system says 'get tight,” it tightens. The body's main mechanism of protecting itself from injury or damage is compression, termed protective tension.

Protective tension provides stability and protects the joints. This allows the body to move as efficiently as possible, while not creating pain. Over time, the body will run out of compensatory means through protective tension and will have to create pain in order to stop movement and damage to the body.

While most stretch, flexibility is only found in the short term, lasting minutes or even hours. Eventually, protective tension will return the body to its previous state to restore the stability it is demanding.

In my office, there are three main issues I see that cause protective tension.

l The first and most prominent is adhesion. Adhesion develops in muscles and other soft tissue structures as a result of overuse. Repetitive motions and prolonged positions are the most common cause of overuse. Office employee to competitive athlete can all suffer from this phenomenon. Think of adhesion as a pin in a rubber band. It does not allow for proper contraction and relaxation when present. Adhesion alters joint motion and negatively affects strength. It is incredibly common, yet highly underdiagnosed and treated. Fortunately, it is easily reversible, but requires specific soft tissue work through a certified soft tissue provider.

l The second is joint dysfunction. Fortunately, in most cases the joint simply is out of place and that can alter muscle function. In other cases, however, joint dysfunction is due to degeneration. Genetics can play a part in abnormally formed joints, but arthritic changes are the most common. Joint dysfunction, of any kind, places more load on the soft tissues, and opens the body for more injury. Chiropractors are well trained in diagnosing abnormal joint mechanics.

l The third issue is abnormal posture and weakness. The modern lifestyle has destroyed proper posture and natural movement. Sitting at a desk for eight-plus hours a day will do this. While posture exercises seem like a good place to start, we have to remember our first two problems - joint dysfunction and adhesion. Both can alter posture and strength. Once the first two problems are removed, posture and strength exercises are much more effective and can be implemented to provide the stability the body requires. PT's and other therapists are great for this, as well.

The body requires a combination of strength and flexibility for health. Stretching is one of the most overprescribed and ineffective methods of reducing pain and increasing flexibility. While it has worked for some, many find themselves in a continuous struggle of stiffness.

Protective tension is a natural response from the body to deal with overuse and overload. While seeking help is the next appropriate step, many still will resist. As a last ditch resort, before getting treatment, check out Part II of this series for three tips to become more flexible and pain free without stretching.

l For more information, email Scharf at cody.scharf@gmail.com or visit www.thrivespineandsport.com