Muscle Tightness: Cause or Symptom?
Greg Roskopf
- Introduction – a question of research. Where’s the scientific substance of stretching?
- ACSM stretching positioning statement 2002 – Performance? Injury prevention?
- Answer for today’s trainers?
- Must recognize that there maynot be a benefit
- Must look for an alternative
- Greg's experience with stretching after having a severe injury
- Increased symptoms
- Various injuries
- Why do muscles tighten up?
- Walking on ice
- Is muscle tightness a cause or a symptom?
- What are we doing as an industry?
- Understanding the sensory receptors and their function
- Muscle spindle: acvtivation
- Golgi tendon organ: inhibition
- Strength coach contradiction: goal of strength training: to increase recruitment of motor units (muscle spindle override golgi tendon) vs. Goal of stretching: to calm down the muscle spindle
- What is the effect?
- Muscle Spindle
- Normal vs abnormal input
- Feed back loop of the muscle spindle: causing muscle contraction and opposite inhibition
- If Abnormal feedback: lose loop, lose inhibition cause tightness
- How to increase ROM – don’t create mobility with out stability
- Training in extremes of motion
- Reciprocal inervation
- Tightness is secondary to lack of neural input
- Activate muscles on opposite side – causes inhibition of tight muscles - increased ROM
- Conclusion: Stretching? We don’t know the truth
- Find alternative approach + create checks and balances - never increase mobility without increasing stability
Click to learn about Greg Roskopf’s upcoming events available on the PTN Box Office.