Why are my hamstrings always tight?
This is the million-dollar question! It is very rare to meet a person whose hamstring don’t feel tight and uncooperative. What most people are not aware of is that tension can be caused by many different things. Because of this, stretching sometimes doesn’t work, and can sometimes make the situation worse! In general, hamstring tension almost always boils down to 3 issues:
1) Loss of elasticity: When muscles loose elasticity, this is generally a result of poor posture, overuse, or injury. Manual therapy (such as bodywork) and stretching are ideal interventions for this.
2) Muscle weakness: Too many people are surprised when they learn that if muscles become weak, they will generate tension. This is mostly a protective mechanism in the nervous system to prevent tissue from being put in a compromised position where injury may occur. While stretching and manual therapy will bear positive results, long term, exercises which target the hamstrings will often provide the missing link.
3) Neural tension: It may seem strange, but here is an important fact to know; when you are bending forward to stretch that hamstring group, you may actually be stretching your sciatic nerve! While this might result in pain, this can often feel like generalized tension and mistaken with muscle tension. Here is the bad news: when holding long stretches like that on a nerve complex, you can irritate the nerve and develop pain and symptoms as a result.
How do I know which one I have?
So glad you asked! Seeing a professional who is proficient in assessing these presentations makes all the difference in pointing you in the right direction. Here at Body Heal, it is of vital importance that you are placed with the right professional to resolve your issue. Our extensive network of professionals provide a high standard for getting you the relief you’re looking for. What are you waiting for? Click here to book a free consultation: www.bodyhealtherapy.com
