Thread by @thehdmovement

Why you keep having pain in the same areas over and over.

//Thread//

The Injury Cycle:

Quick thread on the 6 steps: #4 is the one you all know and hate.

Everyone has that one spot that bothers them.

It seems to go away at times, but the next thing you know it's right back and worst than before.

This is due to a process called the injury cycle.

1. Tissue Trauma

This doesn't have to be hard trauma.

It can result from overtraining or straining your muscle.

Which usually leads to microtears in the muscle belly.

2. Inflammation

Where there is a muscle injury, there is inflammation.

This is a defense mechanism from the body.

2 things are happening here:

1- Blood flow to the area to support with healing.

2-Protective mechanism: contracting the muscle to avoid further damage.

3. Muscle Spasm:

Due to the muscle being in a constant contracted and shortened position, this eventually leads to a muscle spasm.

You will usually start to feel more pain than usual here and feel as if your muscle is preventing you from using it.

Here's an example of the referral pattern for a spasm of the muscle in the back of your neck.

They commonly lead to headaches.

4. Adhesions:

Im sure if you have someone palpate your traps and shoulder area, they will find a knot in there.

These are referred to as adhesions.

These are unhealthy bundles that prevent the muscle from having a full contraction.

They are usually tender to touch.

5. Altered neuromuscular control:

Now that the muscle is not properly contracted due to some of the fibers in it being in a shortened position and forming an adhesion.

The body still needs to find a way to perform the motion that is usually required by the muscle.

So the brain recruits other muscles to perform the motion for it.

6. Muscle Imbalance:

You do this over and over and now there is an altered mechanism in the mind-body connection + an imbalance.

This is very common in the shoulder region and leads to altered mechanics around the shoulder joint and muscles.

-Sitting in poor posture usually leads to muscle strains on the upper back.

It's why almost everyone has knots in their upper back/trap area.

Also why these people have improper shoulder motion and lots of shoulder injuries.

Moral of the story:

When you have adhesions in the muscles, this is not healthy tissue.

You can work them out by seeing someone or using a foam roller.

Your muscle tissue should be smooth and have a nice full contraction.

But also need to figure out what caused the trauma in the first place.

If it's a one-time thing or something that is caused by a repetitive motion of your daily life.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks for reading.

P.S This is not medical advice.

Subscribe to my newsletter below to get an occasional email on health, fitness, and all things self-improvement.

hdnews.carrd.co