Chronic pain can feel overwhelming. We may think it’s out of our control, as though there is no solution. But often, chronic pain can be a result of muscle imbalance.
Muscles are made to contract and release as we use them. If we don’t use our muscles in various positions, we create imbalance. As one muscle tightens from overuse, the opposing muscle is stretched and becomes weak from underuse.
Living in our modern world creates these imbalances. When we were largely an agricultural society, we were using our whole body and were walking and moving most of the time. As we developed different technologies, it significantly impacted the way we use our bodies.
Technology Has Given Us Bad Posture
Believe it or not, cars, which we now take for granted, have had a significant impact on our bodies. A couple of generations ago, most people didn’t own a car. Most people were walking, cycling, or using public transportation. Now that most people drive, we spend much of our time sitting, arms forward, with our hands on the steering wheel.
As we moved deeper into technology with the advent of computers, we have spent more time sitting and using our hands in front of our bodies than ever before. And that’s not even mentioning the explosion of cell phone use in the last 20 years!
Our bodies can’t evolve at the pace our technology is evolving. The problem with all this sitting with arms forward posture is that the muscles in the front of the body start to contract and become tight. At the same time, the muscles on the back of the body are stretched and become weak.
Sitting Really Is the New Smoking?
Most of us have heard the phrase, “sitting is the new smoking.” It seems extreme, but the statistics don’t lie. According to The Heart Foundation, a study found that compared to people who sit the least, those who sit the most “have a greater risk of disease and death, with 112% increased risk of diabetes, 147% increased risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke, and 90% increased risk of death from cardiovascular events.”
Sitting creates shortness in the psoas muscle. The psoas muscle is the only muscle in the body that connects the torso to the legs. As this large muscle shortens and contracts, it creates a lot of tension on the opposing muscles of the back, hence low back pain as well as hip and/or leg pain.
In the “arms forward” position of driving, computer use, and cell phone use, the pectoral muscles of the chest shorten and contract. This creates rounded shoulders and a head-forward posture, putting stress on the neck, upper back, and shoulders. After spending hours every day in these postures, no amount of stretching or massage can release these muscles—they have adopted the position that they most often find themselves in.
Robotic Muscular Therapy
Many people have tried various forms of treatment to no avail. Fortunately, there is a technology that can help these muscles release and become more pliable. Robotic Muscular Therapy is an innovative technology that can lengthen muscle fibers.
Using a robotic arm placed into the muscle, this machine applies pressure and vibration, allowing the muscle to relax and soften. As the muscle contraction is released, fibers lengthen, and the muscle returns to a more natural state. As this happens, pressure is taken off joints and bones that were previously under stress from the shortened muscle. As this happens, it allows bones to come into better alignment, which in turn improves posture.
Improving posture has a significant impact on overall health. Not only will it often relieve pain, but it can also improve breathing and allow the body to function better. As pressure is taken off joints, the joint can move more freely, resulting in pain relief. Without impingement, nerves can be released, circulation is improved, and overall function is restored.
Releasing the muscles causing the pain can help even stubborn chronic pain cases. Often, people have tried many therapies and modalities before finding Robotic Muscular Therapy. And many of those patients report feeling relief after the first session.
Robotic Muscular Therapy is a treatment that can correct the imbalance that causes chronic pain, not just mask the pain. In a relatively time, this therapy can help people recover from chronic pain and rebalance the musculature of the body.
Theresa Edmunds is a Certified Health Coach and co-owner of Precision Robotics Muscular Therapy. She is passionate about helping people feel better inside and out. In addition to bringing this patented muscular technology to the Naples area, she enjoys coaching individuals and families toward a healthier lifestyle.
To make an appointment for Robotic Muscular Therapy or for a free 20-minute health coaching session, contact Theresa at 734.308.7105 or theresa@theresaedmunds.com.