Muscle Balance – What is it and Why is it Important?
It is a bit daunting to learn we have around 600 muscles in our body steering over 200 bones as we engage in our lifestyle. The three main types of muscle include skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. The brain, nerves and skeletal muscles work together to cause movement – this is collectively known as the neuromuscular system. The coordination of muscle and joint groups to provide skilled movement for meeting one’s daily demands occurs through the programing of this neuromuscular system which starts soon after birth and builds on itself to ultimately provide a body that is functional. From the normal developmental sequence of childhood what then becomes possible in terms of skills, strength, flexibility, balance or endurance is dependent on the motivation and the type of training one engages. So, the question becomes how to keep the 600 muscles steering the 200 bones efficiently over time?
One common denominator shared by all human beings is we all have to contend with opposing the effects of gravity on our body. Coping with gravity will cause predictable demands on our neuromotor system and so will create greater stress on muscles which are more involved in maintaining our upright posture and creating propulsion. This effect will be augmented by sports/recreation, work and our overall activity level.
As our body contends with the inescapable force of gravity over time, we can develop muscle imbalances. Muscles work in coordinated groupings called synergists and antagonists which means muscles which unite to support a motion (synergists) and those muscle which are opposite to the motion (antagonists). It is a very fluid system in which these roles reverse as motion is reciprocal.
As we move into a repetitive motion activity such as walking or running, muscles are facilitated and inhibited over and over with propulsion and then controlling the momentum of propulsion as the foot hits the ground. This is much more amplified with running where the body is momentarily airborne compared to walking.
The best performances will occur where the neuromotor system remains efficient in the propulsion and deacceleration phases of a repetitive activity. It is an ongoing battle of maintaining stability and control on one hand in relation to the acceleration and propulsion on the other. If there is a weak link in the main muscles under demand, then the body will naturally compensate and recruit associated muscles (synergists) to contribute more to make up for the deficit.
Our bodies are good about compensating; such a response helps the body to overcome non-optimum conditions and still deliver performance but it is working harder to do so. Harder working muscles will tend to get tighter and may cause restriction in joint motion. Muscle fatigue and tightness can work its way into the system causing stress on joints = arthritis, on a bursa = bursitis, = on a tendon = tendonitis, or even the muscle itself = myositis. “Itis” means inflammation and this suffix is tagged with the tissue involved to provide a classification system for this diagnostic area.
These overuse injuries or “itises” can be the consequence of inefficiency in the neuromotor system, poor training with improper ramping up depending on the level of deconditioning, and there could be issues with ligament laxity and instability promoting muscle and tendon over use. And finally, poor technique can affect the level of stress on a joint, muscle, tendon or bursa. An overuse injury can have multiple factors as its source which are best identified with a through evaluation by a physical therapist.
It would be the rule versus the exception to not find notable muscle imbalances in a body who has been fighting gravity for 4 decades or more. We hear the old saying, “Getting old is not for sissies” meaning more aches and pains are often associated with aging. This is true to an extent but concurrent with aging is the idea of how muscle imbalance can be building as well over time and contributing to the aches and pains too. Arthritis is often not the only factor in the pain even though the x-ray shows degenerative changes and the doctor points this out. Fortunately, this source of pain can be an area where something can be done about it. Muscles can get longer and stronger just like with neglect and incorrect training get shorter and weaker. This is one reason why physical therapy works.
Sustaining neuromuscular balance over time is usually not by accident, one can up their odds of success in repetitive activities if their weak and tight muscular links are identified, and their bony alignment is trained back to optimum so one’s foundation can be improved. This training would need to be specific to the identified imbalances to pull the system back to efficiency, one cannot usually walk themselves back to balance.
An evaluation can provide insight into solutions for stubborn musculoskeletal problems or to ensure your body is ready for the stress you would like to engage to lose weight, build fitness or endurance, and challenge yourself to a new you. Before starting some lifestyle change that will be much more repetitive or physically demanding, identifying your neuromusculoskeletal imbalances can help you avoid an ‘itis’ and improve your odds for success. Prevention is a much easier solution to enact for overuse injuries versus rehabbing.
If you learn about the science of exercising to counter gravity’s inevitable effect on muscle imbalance, you can help yourself live a life where you remain more in control of your health. It has been shown time and time again, staying active is the key ingredient to handling many other health concerns and a body in balance helps that happen.
Got questions? Call Full Potential and get some answers.
To Staying in Balance,
Vincent Hanneken, PT