Muscle imbalance occurs when you have overdeveloped and
tight muscles in one area of the body while the opposing muscles are weak and
stretched out of their normal position.
It can happen anywhere on the body and can be caused by routine things
you do on the job. As your muscles get more out of balance, they start pulling
your body out of proper alignment. When
a muscle imbalance pulls one of your joints out of position, it puts extra
strain on that joint. That strain will begin to stress the nerves around that
joint which will cause pain. The body will then try to readjust itself to ease
the pain, which causes other sets of joints to become imbalanced.
One of the first
signs of muscle imbalance is postural dysfunctions. Postural dysfunctions can
be seen in the head, neck, shoulder, pelvis, as well as curvature of the
spine. Common problems with postural
dysfunctions are:
- Lower Back Pain
- Facet Joint and Ligament Strain
- Slipped discs
- Shoulder impingement and Rotator Cuff tendonitis
- Headaches and neck pain
- Trapped Nerves
- Sports Injuries
- Hamstring tears
- Anterior knee pain
Generally muscle imbalances are fairly easy to correct. When improving muscle balance the focus is on
mobilizing the joints and releasing short tight muscles and soft tissues. It’s
important to work on strengthening the longer, weaker muscles to correct the
body’s alignment and movement control.
Another important factor is recognizing what lifestyle or working habits
are contributing to the muscle imbalance and try changing these habits if
possible.
