Corrective Exercises
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Corrective Exercises Q&A
What are corrective exercises?
Corrective exercise refers to a specific type of physical movement intended to fix or correct imbalances and movement compensations. In order to understand how these exercises can correct problems, it helps to think about how your muscles function to keep you moving each day.
Your musculoskeletal system is a complex network that relies on a healthy interaction between muscle and bone tissue, as well as connective tissues, nerves, and blood vessels. Your muscles enable every single movement you make on any given day.
When your muscles and joints are properly aligned, you’re able to go through each day free of pain. However, when a problem develops in one area of muscle tissue, your body does something amazing to take up the slack.
This is called compensation and occurs when some muscles “take over” or “help” others. While this is an example of the amazing resilience of the human body, it can also cause problems with your spine and other joints, as some muscles are working to compensate for others.
What are some examples of corrective exercises?
Corrective exercises can take on many forms. Because these movements are designed to address a very specific area of muscle tissue, it’s important that you perform corrective exercises with your chiropractic professional.
Some examples of corrective exercises include:
- Hip flexor stretches
- Calf stretches
- Lunging combined with knee pulls
- Foam roller work on iliotibial bands (outer quadriceps)
- Lying rotations
When is the best time to begin corrective exercises?
Far too many people wait to see a chiropractor until their symptoms become unbearable. This approach allows existing problems to worsen and can result in far more muscle and joint damage than if you sought treatment sooner.
The best time to come in for corrective exercises is soon after joint and muscle pain develops. Everyone experiences occasional muscle strain or soreness, but if the condition does not improve after a couple of days of self-care, schedule a visit at Alderwood Back & Neck Pain Clinic right away.