How the body moves - understanding muscle pain

There are more than 600 skeletal muscles in your body.   There is a fine skin that wraps around each muscle called fascia.   The ends of the fascia become tendons – a tissue that connects the muscles to the bones.   Ligaments attach bone to bone.

The muscles provide you with your basic stability.   They support your back and spinal column the way rigging supports a yacht mast.     They also give stability when lifting loads.

The muscles are like pullies and the bones are like leavers:  together they are used for performing tasks such as walking, lifting, pulling.   The process begins with a message from the brain, down the spinal cord to a spinal nerve root, and then along the nerve to the appropriate group of muscles.   It tells the muscles what to do and how to do it.

Muscles work in groups.    This is why when you hurt yourself other muscles get painful too.  They all act as a team.   If you hurt your hip, an imbalance in the muscles will create pain in your neck.

Muscle pain occurs through:

1. Poor posture
2. Overuse of a particular part of the body
3. An injury
4. Prolonged stress and tension

Care for your Back Course

This information was copied and paraphrased from the following books:  
Facilitated Stretching – R E McAtee and J Charland
Stretching and Flexibility – K Laughlin
Overcome Neck and Back Pain – K Laughlin
PilateSystem – T Blount and E McKenzie

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