Effects Of Muscle Imbalance (By John Gibbons)

 

John Gibbons is a world renown osteopath, he teaches physical therapy methods worldwide and is also the creator of the body master course. He also writes books to spread professional knowledge (can be bought on amazon). As someone who was examined by him, what I found was he would do an elimination and checklist strategy; this avoids misdiagnosis in 99% of the cases. He checks everything, nerves, strength, muscle length tests to really paint a perfect picture of what is going on to organise a treatment. 

Extract From John Gibbons Book Vital Glutes

The research results of Janda (1983) indicate that tight (short) or overactive Short muscles not only hinder the agonist (opposing muscle) through Sherrington’s law of reciprocal inhibition as stated by Sherrington (1907) but also become active in movements that they are not normally associated with.

This is the reason why, when trying to correct a musculoskeletal imbalance, you would encourage lengthening of an overactive (shortened) by using a muscle energy technique (MET or PNF stretching), prior to attempting to strengthen a weak elongated muscle.

A tight muscle will pull the joint into a dysfunctional position and the weak muscle will allow this to happen, therefore we lengthen the short before we strengthen the weak. For example, we would lengthen the shortened pectoral muscles prior to strengthening the weakened rhomboids.

If muscle imbalances are not addressed, the body will be forced into a compensatory position, which increases the stress placed on the musculoskeletal system, eventually leading to tissue breakdown, irritation and injury. You are now in a vicious circle of musculoskeletal deterioration as the tonic muscles shorten and the phasic muscles lengthen.

Muscle imbalances are reflected in posture, as mentioned earlier, postural muscles are innervated by a smaller motor neuron and therefore have a lower excitability threshold. Since the nerve impulse reaches the postural muscle before the phasic muscle, the postural muscle will inhibit the phasic (antagonist) muscle, thus reducing the contractile potential and activation. When muscles are subject to faulty or repetitive loading the postural muscles shorting and phasic muscles weaken, thus altering their length tension relationship. Consequently, posture is directly affected because the surrounding muscles displace the soft tissues and skeleton. This leads to altered movement patterns which cause compensation, pain and injury.

End of Johns Extract (you will be surprised how many therapists do not know this knowledge and instead make people’s situation worse by prescribing wrong treatment.

Common mistakes people make:

• A sensation of tightness does not always mean its tight a locked long muscle can feel tight too. (Muscle Length test is needed)
• When a weak muscle is found they don't check the opposing muscles for shortness, they just give strength exercises for weak muscle which won't solve issue if the opposing muscle is shortened. If it is , it must be stretched first every time before you try to strengthen the weakened. Aim is to correct altered reciprocal inhibition and length tension relationships. 

In an anterior pelvic tilt the hip flexors and quads will be tight and shortened. This will inhibit the Glutes and Hamstrings which will be long and weakened. You will want to stretch the hip flexors and quads first before you activate the Glutes and Hamstrings. In this situation the hamstrings may feel tight as the end up doing the glutes work too. 

Positive patient outcomes is what its all about

The right strength and flexibilty excercises can sort out most movement issues. 

PAUL J. FRANSEN, P.T.

After graduating from the Washington University School of Medicine Program in Physical Therapy in 1987, my post-graduate studies have included Manual Therapy and Muscle Energy Techniques (skills used to correct muscle imbalances and joint dysfunction); treatment of Post- Polio Syndrome; Treatment and Prevention of Sports Injuries; Balance Courses; Electro-Therapeutic Modalities and courses on Neuro-plastic Interventional Training Techniques. While working in rehabilitation hospitals with neurologically impaired patients, I consistently observed that a functional improvement could be achieved by treating muscle imbalances of strength and flexibility. Spontaneous improvements in joint function and walking were observed, as was the prompt resolution of existing pain symptoms.

Shortly thereafter, I began to specialize in the outpatient treatment of orthopedic, sports and work-related injury cases. Whether injury was due to faulty posture or physical trauma, I had observed a predictable pattern in the evolution of muscle and soft tissue pain into joint pain and dysfunction. However, when daily stretching and select postural strengthening exercises were consistently performed to optimize vertical postural alignment, even geriatric patients were able to achieve new levels of physical independence although joint pain had become chronic over several years. In many instances, the excellent clinical outcomes achieved through this conservative approach have allowed some patients to discontinue use of prescriptive analgesics and muscle relaxants and others to even cancel scheduled orthopedic surgery, because they experienced complete or near-complete resolution of their joint pain symptoms. The consistent performance of the stretching exercises resolves most pain symptoms and increases function, often in as little as three weeks.

Visit his website www.integrityphysicaltherapy.org and read the following articles:

1. Muscle balance

2. Adaptive shortening

His take away message is:

1. Keep body supple via flexibility excercises to maintain range of motion.

2. Keep posture correct with excercises

3. Exercise will help many people avoid a life at a care home in a wheel chair.  

His site is a must read very experienced guy.

BUY HIS BOOK TO PREVENT INJURIES OR HELP A INJURED PERSON IN YOUR FAMLY.