Muscle patterning – what’s it all about?

To think of muscle problems as just the result of weaknesses is far from the truth and overly simplistic. While absolute strength is a component of stability and control without timing and co-ordination with the other muscles it may only serve to further your injury.

When a muscle switches off, unless it is a “flaccid paralysis” it doesn’t switch off completely. What actually happens is that the muscle doesn’t engage with the right amount of force during the required phases of a movement. In other words, it’s a force of contraction and timing ‘muscle patterning’ issue.

-          Too much force at the wrong time leads to the muscle straining and tearing.

-          Too little force at the wrong time will leads to other (accessory) muscles tearing and straining.

Muscle patterning issues place excessive stress on joints leading to damage. Left long enough contributing to joint osteoarthritis and nerve injuries further perpetuating the problem.

From a functional point of view, a muscle that also doesn’t turn off at the right time is just as big a problem as one that doesn’t turn on.  Movement requires the co-ordination of contraction and relaxation of groups of muscles called synergists and antagonists. It’s of the most elaborate neurological feats your body performs and even today the best robotics in the world are still a way off.

At Well Aligned Cammeray we use EMG biofeedback to accurately assess muscle force and timing. Using 2 channels we can simultaneously measure 2 muscle groups giving us all the information we need to both assess and then prescribe corrective exercises. As they say in business, “Anything you don’t measure doesn’t change”

Some of the most frequent causes of muscle patterning issues are a:

-          Sedentary lifestyle

-          Poor posture

-          Joint stiffness and mis-alignment

-          General deconditioning and poor fitness

-          Specific sport based fitness that isn’t counterbalanced with appropriate cross training or other varied activities.

Treating muscle imbalances necessarily involves structured re-training and conditioning along with addressing the other underlying contributory and lifestyle causes. While rest can relieve the pain associated with a muscle patterning/imbalance it is not curative and upon return to exertion the problem invariably returns.

Chiropractic takes a holistic approach ensuring the speediest recovery and avoidance of future relapse.

Call us on 02 9929 0515 to book an appointment today.