First Posted on Aug 09, 2013 by Vivienne Bartle
When we think of balance, we often imagine two things working in opposition to one another. Like when we visualise two children on a see-saw, or the two ropes that lift and lower a flag on a pulley. Muscles work much the same way – in twos. In order for you to be able to move forward and back and side to side, each muscle needs a partner muscle to pull the opposite way.
If you bend your elbow to touch your neck, your biceps (at the front of your upper arm) pull – or contract and shorten, and the triceps (at the back of your upper arm) relax and go into a stretched position. If you didn’t have the triceps muscles to straighten your arm back out, your arm would stay bent. Fortunately, when you’re ready, the triceps contract while your biceps relax to straighten your arm again. This is why it’s so important to keep both muscles in an opposing muscle group balanced.
This is not to say that both muscles need to be of equal strength, as some muscles are naturally designed to be stronger than others. What does need to happen is that each muscle should maintain the state of strength and flexibility that keeps the nearby joints functioning optimally. This allows you to move easily in all directions in the way the body was designed to move.
When it comes to eliminating and preventing back pain, the goal isn’t necessarily to have muscles as strong and flexible as possible – though that certainly helps. The goal is balance. Your muscle pairs need balanced strength and flexibility to support your body height and weight and allow for normal movement.
Unfortunately, for most of us, keeping all the muscle pairs equally balanced is a tall order. Not only do we stretch some too much and others to little, but we simply are unaware when we have muscle imbalances until they register as pain. Although this basic understanding of how our body works should be common knowledge, it isn’t, and its why so many people struggle with nagging aches and pains.
At Cinergee, we assess muscle imbalances and do a specialised technique called Muscle Realignment Therapy (MRT). This is exclusive to us due to our founder, Vivienne Bartle designing the system of techniques that release muscle tension throughout the body. It is extremely effective for all chronic conditions involving the muscles, and is effective even when that tension goes all the way back to childhood injuries. If you think posture is an issue for you, or you experience aches and pains, why not give MRT a try…….call 6334 6885 for an appointment today.