Why are you still stretching tight muscles?

Often, tight muscle are a symptom of something else that needs addressing. What is it holding onto, what is it protecting?

This is why when we stretch a tight muscle, it is not only counterproductive, it can also create more layers of compensation. Remove something from the nervous system and it will add another layer of compensation. Stretching is all about lengthening muscles, which will actually down regulate the nervous system. This makes them less active at doing their job especially when not loaded properly. Joint mobilization or flossing that I like to teach is more about moving the loaded joint through its range of motion, therefore improving that motion. This will create changes in the nervous system response due to ligament and joint capsule receptors.

Stretch Receptor Response:

This is when eccentric response is impaired and the nervous system’s output is a protective strategy of concentric contraction. Stretching only reinforces the perceived safety issue and makes matters worse.

This is a safety issue. When we remove the nervous system’s coping strategy, we are creating vulnerability in the nervous system’s ability to respond.   In other words we are “kicking the leg out of a 3 legged stool.” We as therapists are not smarter than the nervous system.

Instead of stretching a muscle, we must understand why that muscle is tight to begin with. What does the nervous system need to feel safe is perhaps the most important question to ask. This is why I don’t advocate the use of foam rolling and static stretching unless you specifically know what you are stretching.

If you would like to learn more about this concept, I have a few mentorships available.