

By: Dr. Patterson
Have you ever noticed that one leg stretches easier than the other or that one arm goes farther behind your back? If so, you may be experiencing muscle imbalance. Muscle imbalances can occur almost anywhere in our bodies. We can be imbalanced from side to side or from front to back.
You might ask, what is the big deal about one leg stretching more than the other? In this example, the problem lies in the increased stress that this puts on your pelvis, hips and spine. A tight hamstring creates torque in the pelvis and may lead to pain and early arthritis in your joints. Muscle imbalance impedes your performance and can eventually interfere with your daily and recreational activities. Similar problems occur in the neck and shoulders.
Muscle imbalances develop for a number of reasons. Right or left handiness cause us to use one side more than the other. Work postures or sporting activities may force us to perform one-sided activities over and over. One set of muscles will naturally become tighter than the others. Stuck or dysfunctional joints themselves also lead to imbalances and increased stress. Poor digestion and stress to our organs create muscle contraction. Left untreated, this will cause muscle imbalances such as leg length discrepancies and shoulder contractions.
Stretching some muscles and strengthening others can treat many muscle imbalances. Other times it requires manipulation of the joints or nutritional approaches to relieve muscle contraction. The keys to correction are proper evaluation as to the cause of the imbalance as well as the identification of the muscles to retrain.
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