Injuries and pain are something that everyone has to deal with at some point or another in our lives. If you haven't, you're some sort of a freak of nature - good for you. But for the rest of us regular people, it's the inevitable. When we think of day to day pain and injuries, what causes them? There's obviously a LOT of factors and variables (some in our control and some are out of our control), but keeping the body in balance will absolutely help prevent them.
Tom Myers, an expert in movement and anatomy, says injuries can often be caused by an imbalance of opposing muscles of the joints. When muscles in joints are out of balance, one side has worn down the cartilage on that side - that's when bone on bone can happen! (cringe) No one wants that! A common problem is that knees and hips are wearing out before the people who live with them do. Is it a problem with the bones and genetics or the knees or the hips? Tom Myers says it's a USAGE problem. Hmm...let's explore that.
I've been dealing with on and off knee pain on my left side dating back to high school. My Dad has had both knees replaced, my grandma had bad knees; In my mind I would be doomed to get a knee replacement at some point. I finally went to physical therapy and was told my Vastus Medialus (inner quad muscle) was super weak which was causing my knee cap to track laterally, therefore leaving me with knee pain and imbalanced muscles. When we aren't using and activating certain muscles, our body thinks we don't need to use them and in a sense, can shut them off. I had to retrain that mind/muscle memory to be able to activate that specific muscle. Thanks to Vonda and Mark at Capstone! I'm still working on it, but it's improved a lot. Vonda really changed my thoughts on running when she told me that for herself, as a runner (a legit, Boston Marathon kind of runner), she has started running more by herself (than with friends) so that she can pay more attention to her body. Running with friends or doing any kind of workout with friends is more fun, but don't sacrifice paying attention to your body at any cost.
Here's another example of being out of balance that probably ALL OF US can relate to. We lived in a hunched over world, sitting at computers, looking down at our phones, sitting. Oh, and sitting. And looking down at our phone again. Point made. How many of us have back pain here and there? (The crowd stands up.) When we are hunched over the muscles in our neck and back are stretched out and need to be strengthened. At the same time the opposing muscles on the front of our body are shortened and need to be lengthened. Balance it out. Stretch out your front with some backbends while strengthening your back. (Locust pose please đ ) For more pose suggestions, check out my post, Why backbends aren't scary. And why you need them in your life.
Here's another example that I am guilty of ALL. THE. TIME. The phone between my ear and shoulder. Dumb. Just dumb. Do I experience neck and shoulder pain sometimes? Yes. Is my neck out of balance? Yep, probably. Is this an easy fix? Absolutely. I have plantronics earphones (I got mine from Costco). I just need to be more consistent (and less lazy đŹ) about using them.
When I started thinking about my body this way of keeping it in balance in my every day movements, I developed a whole new outlook. There are so many things we do unconsciously that take a tole on our bodies (and so many things we can do to counteract them).
Take a few minutes to assess a few things about your daily movements (or non-movements).
How do you sleep? Always on the same side? With your arm up or around or funky somehow? With your neck cranked funny?
What does your position look like when you're sitting at your computer or in your car? Hunched over and rounded or sitting up straight with shoulders back? Legs crossed or feet on the floor?
How about standing? One hip out and weight in one leg more than the other? How about the weight in your feet? Weight more on the outside or inside of your foot?
How about when you're walking? Or running? There are some slow motion video apps that physical therapists use to really study movement. Do you put your weight more in one side of your leg than the other? You can even just stand on one leg at a time and see where you are putting that weight in your foot - ideally it should be distributed evenly through your whole foot.
Whatever you're noticing, try to be more balanced and even. When you have pain, pay attention to the muscle group in that area. Try to activate your different muscles and see if you can. Then compare sides (but know that no matter what we do, we will never be the exact same on both sides - we are asymmetrical as humans).
Obviously, for severe pain or chronic stuff, go see a doctor! My goal is to help others be more aware of their everyday movements and become more intentional with how they use their bodies. The end goal is to feel better and be more in tune with the body.
XOXO Namaste
Allie
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