Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes…Everything is Connected

It is logical to assume that if you are experiencing chronic knee pain, for example, there is a problem with your knee. Or if you have lower back pain, there is a problem with your spine. But because the body is connected from your head down to your toes, you could actually be wrong.

Human movement is obtained through the complex mechanical interaction between bones, muscles, ligaments, and joints within the musculoskeletal system. You may have heard the explanation like this in a children’s tune “the foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone, the leg bone’s connected to the knee bone,” and so on.

If any of the individual elements of the musculoskeletal system gets “injured” or misaligned, a change to the body’s overall mechanics occurs. This can cause not only degradation, instability, or disability of movement, but also chronic pain.

However, the site of the discomfort may not be the source of the discomfort. Instead, it may be a symptom of a problem elsewhere along the body’s chain of connectivity known as the kinetic chain. 

Unfortunately, the customary practice of western medicine is to address the pain by treating the site of the pain. Or, in addition to being told that everyday pain is just natural part of aging, you might receive a variety of different band-aids: stop doing certain exercises, build your “core” at physical therapy, or get a cortisone injection. Before you waste your time and money, think about what other muscles might be involved. Or, schedule a complimentary strategy session at Success Studio North and we can help to figure out the real source of your pain. 

A Pain in the Neck?

Upper neck and back pain is not only annoying, but it can be debilitating. You try heat. You try ice. You try massage. But nothing works. That’s because your neck pain might actually be caused by chest tightness from poor posture or slouching. Although chest tightness will only be directly noticed when you try to stretch it out, it causes a chain of immobility that can reach your neck, as the muscles in your neck are constantly being strained to compensate, causing you constant discomfort. Often, to relieve the pain, the muscles in your chest are what need to be relaxed. 

Lower Back Pain?

Back pain is one of most common health problems. Most likely, you would resort to foam rolling  or static stretching your back in an attempt to loosen it. Chances are you wouldn’t even question why your lower back got tight in the first place or which other muscles may be involved. Lower back pain often develops as a result of muscle tightness elsewhere in the body, potentially in the lats. Your lats are large muscles that connect directly from your shoulders to your spine. If they are tight from limited use, they pull on the spine causing lower back pain. So instead of foam rolling directly on your lower back, try foam rolling your lats—the myofascial release will loosen the muscle tension and knots in your lats, preventing them from pulling on your lower back, thus reducing pain. If lat tightness is not the source of your pain, you can try gently foam rolling your hips, upper back, shoulders, hamstrings, or piriformis ( a deep muscle in your buttocks). In addition back pain, which is more common among people who are not physically fit, can be a result of having weak abdominal muscles that are unable to properly support the spine. In this case, exercising your abdominal muscles might do the trick.

Knee Pain?

The knee is the largest joint in the human body and a common source of athletic-related injuries. However, if you have pain in your knee without injury, it can possibly be coming from a tight quadriceps or hamstring, which are the muscles directly connected to the knee. Tight calves, glutes, or hips can also interfere with knee mechanics resulting in knee pain. Foot/ankle mechanics are also correlated with knee pain; a change in gait can alter the alignment of your ankle, knee, foot, and hip, thereby twisting the knee and inflicting pain. Correcting your gait, whether it is by strengthening the muscles in your toes to re-invent your arch or foam rolling your hip, will eliminate the knee pain.

 From your head down to your toes, everything is connected. If you can find the source of your pain, you can be on the road to feeling better in no time. Personal training can be an effective way to combat physical aches and pains - schedule a Complimentary Strategy Session to learn more about how we can help you today!