RE: Corrective Exercise - the key to long term pain reduction
SPECIFIC MOVEMENT IS KEY
As a health practitioner our number one goal is to help our clients feel better and move better!
We do this by reducing symptoms such as pain and stiffness and provide clients with the education and tools needed to minimise any recurrence of pain/injury; new or pre-existing.
The tools we provide our clients with are specific strength-based and muscle activation exercises along with some stretches and mobility work for them to perform at home. These exercises are aimed at addressing the causative factors of pain and any consequences that have followed; however, these tools are often the first to be forgotten when leaving the clinic.
Exercises we prescribe that require some longer term investment, rather than providing immediate relief, may be first to go on the ‘to do’ list. These strength based exercises are often the first to be forgotten about and to slip between the cracks.
We want to explain why it is those exercises that are the key to your long-term recovery!
As stated, exercise prescription is designed to address the root cause of pain and is individualised to each client's needs. It's common that the pain felt is secondary to a longer standing issue involving your body's biomechanics.
Our body will develop compensatory movement patterns, which are alternate neuromuscular strategies our body employs when our natural strategies are not optimally creating a certain movement.
Essentially, the body is compensating for areas that need your attention!
However, this puts other structures under increased stress and can result in pain/injury.
Your therapist will often provide a comprehensive explanation with step by step photos, in a PDF - and it ends up sitting in your emails! Why? When this is the solution to fixing the problem?
So, this is WHY it’s so important to make a commitment to yourself to do those strengthening exercises:
Improve awareness: A glute what? Designed to do what? Creating or improving your awareness of which muscle we need to work on is step 1. Now you know you have a Glute Medius, you can work on creating a mind muscle connection. This will be very helpful when increasing strength in that area.
Increase strength: Increased strength and endurance of key performing muscles through repetitive activation of that muscle will work to correct and improve imbalances and compromised firing patterns.
Injury prevention: Corrective exercise will not only improve your desired outcome but will decrease likelihood of similar injury occurring.
Enhance physical performance: whilst not discussed, prescribed exercises will indirectly enhance your ability to perform everyday tasks and advance physical performance through creating stronger muscular structure.
Strength doesn’t always come from muscle size, it’s how you use your muscles. Let us help you bridge the gap between your pain and your potential.
Lexie
- Myotherapist, Pilates Instructor and Community Outreach Coordinator, BM Team
