By Mark DiSalvo, MPT, OCS, MTC, CGFI
A lot of people tell me that they do "a lot" of stretching but are not seeing any improvement in their flexibility. When you have tightness that does not seem to improve with consistent stretching, it may be a sign that you are not tight. Instead, this may indicate a protective mechanism from the body trying not to allow another area of the body to be injured. There is a pattern of movement to the body that allows for maximal motion. This can be referred to as the mobility/stability model of movement. Your foot, knee, lumbar spine, scapula, and elbow joints should all be stable. Most of your movement should come from the ankle, hip, thoracic spine, shoulder and wrist joints. As you work up from the ground you see a pattern, stable joint, mobile joint, etc. When a joint isn't doing its job, surrounding muscles may tighten up to protect from injury. Until you address the underlying problem, flexibility will not improve. A detailed exam from your therapist can address these areas and see if there is more to your un-improving tightness.
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