A Little History About Muscle Imbalances
For many years now a branch of physical medicine has been able to explain why this 95% of back or neck pain can't be traced to a diagnosable medical cause. This is because muscle imbalances cannot be seen with X-rays, or any other scanning apparatus. Studies from this branch of physical medicine have also explained why the lack of early treatment of this problem results in the progressive degenerative nature of back and neck pain conditions.

Even better news for new, and fairly new, back pain sufferers is that they have also developed highly effective, relatively easy, gentle, painless treatments.

These treatments even help to provide relief for people whose muscle imbalances have progressed to the chronic pain of disc, bone, ligament and joint problems. This method of treatment has often saved people the necessity to undergo various invasive and semi-invasive surgical procedures.

Could YOUR Back Pain Be the Result of Muscle Imbalance?
Let us help you to understand what Muscle Imbalance is all about. Then you can decide if any of this makes sense to you. If you think you should look into a treatment plan based upon this science be prepared to be your own advocate. Be prepared to ask, insist, and seek out people versed in this treatment process. Even though these practitioners may use different names for their treatment process, there are many who practice this specialized muscle treatment, so don't be discouraged.

What is Muscle Imbalance?
It means just what it says; a person's musculoskeletal system is not in proper balance causing restriction in healthy joint and musculoskeletal movement. However, it is a little more complicated then this.

The skeletal muscles work together to allow movement. For many reasons some of our muscles can become what is known as "HypERtonic" and when this occurs corresponding (paired) muscles will become "HypOtonic."

Without getting too technical, a muscle that is Hypertonic it is a muscle that is shortened and tight, and over time (sometimes also weak) and is unable to "relax" or "release" the contraction fully when needed. It can develop into a muscle that begins to exist in a state of chronic, semi-contraction, which the body recognizes as suffering with a mini muscle spasm all the time. The paired Hypotonic muscles become chronically "over stretched" and weak and are unable to contract when needed. Of course, this set-up decreases correct movement of the joint causing it to move in an altered way, which can lead to joint breakdown.

FACT: A muscle that is chronically semi-contracted causes metabolic dysfunction within the muscle tissues. It also squeezes blood vessels and nerves running through the muscle. This interferes with healthy blood supply and proper nerve signaling.

Muscle Imbalance Makes You Highly Prone to Easy Injury
Muscle imbalances leave a body very prone to a variety of easily caused injuries especially if those imbalances are occurring in the back or neck and very high percentages do occur in the back and neck. Generally, hypertonic muscle occurs in the large paraspinal muscles, which hold the spine "up" against gravity –. They allow us to bend forward (flex,) backwards (extend,) sideways and to rotate. When any of these muscles become hypertonic there are a number of other muscles that become Hypotonic - extend and weaken. The usual ones are abdominal, hip, and thigh muscles.

Once things progress just this far it takes very little to set off an acute back pain episode. Reaching for something when your body is slightly turned, bending over to pick up something small, a little weekend gardening or game of golf. That's all it may take. Suddenly, semi-contracted muscles now go into full contraction - that's muscle spasm and the cause of the excruciating pain that "lays you out" – also referred to as an "Acute Pain Episode."

Many think of heightened muscular tension is a result of injury, and it can be. However, in most cases, heightened tension also precedes and causes injury through poor muscular coordination.