Continual Injuries

Hi All,

As far back as i can remember i have been plagued by injuries (musle pulls/strains).

I have tried many different warm-up/warm-down routines and taken a very slow approach to progression but it seems i only need to think about exercise and i get a pull lol.

I am quite perplexed i dont seem to lack strength and my flexibility is quite good but my muscles tend to feel quite tense and hard all the time (even as a small child)?!

Can anyone give advice?

If your muscles are short and tight (thus lacking a range of motion) they tend to get injured more easily.

Just like too flexible muscles may put the ligaments/joints at risk for dislocations and sprains (opposite condition).

You want a happy medium of strength and mobility to avoid injuries.

I am quite perplexed i dont seem to lack strength and my flexibility is quite good but my muscles tend to feel quite tense and hard all the time (even as a small child)?!

Seems like your muscles are too tight and your mobility is lacking. Stretching to get good range of mobility would probably be a good idea

Hi braindx, thanks for the reply.

Seems like your muscles are too tight and your mobility is lacking. Stretching to get good range of mobility would probably be a good idea

This is the reason i am perplexed because my mobility is quite good. When i say that my muscles feel tense and hard i dont mean when im stretching but if you were to feel them when they are in a relaxed state?

JPP said:

Hi braindx, thanks for the reply.

Seems like your muscles are too tight and your mobility is lacking. Stretching to get good range of mobility would probably be a good idea

This is the reason i am perplexed because my mobility is quite good. When i say that my muscles feel tense and hard i dont mean when im stretching but if you were to feel them when they are in a relaxed state?

Get a deep tissue massage or myofascial release or ART.

Knotted muscles + scar tissue can also be a problem inhibiting normal muscular function.

BUt you say your mobility is good? You can open your shoulder angle and do a perfect straight handstand? Skin the cat on rings without supporting yourself with your feet? Splits on the ground?

Get a deep tissue massage or myofascial release or ART.

Knotted muscles + scar tissue can also be a problem inhibiting normal muscular function.

Thanks, i actually already have a sports massage booked in for next week! See how it goes.

BUt you say your mobility is good? You can open your shoulder angle and do a perfect straight handstand? Skin the cat on rings without supporting yourself with your feet? Splits on the ground?

Yes, Yes and about 4-6 inches off the ground.

Is there anything nutritionally i could do? A lot of dietary information i have found on the subject is in regards to aftercare rather than preventative.

As a massage therapist, i'll give you my two cents based upon my experience with clients (as well as myself). To preface, i am by no means an expert on this subject, and as always, would encourage you to seek professional medical advice in regards to any issues you may be having.

from what you're describing, if i understand correctly, it sounds like your muscles are in a constant state of hypertonicity. this condition is usually characterized by "harder" than usual muscle tone and/or rigidity. this can, but not always, affect the flexibility of the fibers as well as their ability to contract/relax. normally, a muscle in a relaxed state should have somewhat of a "supple" tone, soft and malleable. however, there are many factors at play. athletes who engage in activities that stimulate Type 2b fibers especially (weightlifters, gymnasts, sprinters, etc) tend to have relatively increased muscle tonicity, even at rest. furthermore, postural or shunt muscles are almost never "at rest", and therefore do not exhibit the same characteristics.

the reasons for hypertonicity are many. as i previously mentioned, exceptional development of Type 2b fibers can be one cause. vitamin/mineral deficiencies are another, throwing off the chemical processes necessary for contraction. inadequate water intake may be another, although you would have to be in a constant state of dehydration. the last, and most important factor, is neurological. as a therapist, many of my clients are dealing with varying levels of stress, from which a multitude of symptoms arise. hypertonicity, in this case, involves the inability of the muscle to "shut off". for whatever reason, the signal is still "on" which causes a constant state of semi-contraction and/or tension.

since you've described feeling this way since you were a child, my guess is that the culprit lies somewhere in the neurological feedback systems. in this case, you would still be flexible and able to move well, but the constant state of semi-contraction (and the tension placed on the fibers at all times) weakens the muscle so that it is not able to withstand the forces placed upon it when engaged in activities under higher load. great (and efficient) athletes are able to relax just as quickly as they contract. the biggest problem is discovering why your nervous system is not allowing full relaxation (if that is the problem), and then pinpointing the direct mechanism(s) involved. i would encourage you to seek advice from a neurologist, chiropractic neurologist, or similar expert.

hope this helps in some way

Hi bst,

Thanks for the post, a lot of what you have said definitely sounds as though "hypertonicity" could be the culprit. I am going for a sports massage next week and will discuss this with them and see if i can figure out if there are any underlying reasons for it.

If not its off to the neurologist :shock: !

Thanks again.

Hi bst,

One further question, are you aware of any link between hypertonicity and seretonin deficiancy?

JPP said:

Hi bst,

One further question, are you aware of any link between hypertonicity and seretonin deficiancy?

i am not aware of any link, but imo it could be linked. if i recall correctly, one of the many functions of serotonin is to help regulate mood. so, if my line of thinking is correct, lower serotonin levels = possible heightened level of stress/anxiety = possible increase in level of neuromuscular tension throughout the body. just guessing, i could be way off....

Good analysis bst.