Whether it’s due to a hectic work schedule or they’re out training for the Boston Marathon, zmost people you know have some sort of tightness going on.
Most people think that you can only go to Physical Therapy if you’re coming off an injury or surgery.
The view of Physical Therapy is an old school, carpeted office with some low-level exercise machines from the 80s, people on hot packs, and getting some gentle massage.
This vision, obviously translates into thinking that if you’re an extremely active adult but are just dealing with tightness that Physical Therapy is not where you want to be.
Instead — people generally opt for Sports Massage (a great option to be honest), do some stretches from YouTube, or honestly just live in their tightness.
But, I’m here today to tell you that you’re missing the answer to your tightness. Don’t go a day sitting at your desk with tight shoulders, another run with tight hips, or workout with a tight lower back again!
Most people don’t realize they can see a Physical Therapist for their tightness. With Performance Physical Therapy at Ripple, we provide the direct access option to quality healthcare to get rid of your tightness, and back to living your active life at a high level.
First things first, why are you tight? No, you’re not just born with it — there are many contributing reasons to why you could be tight.
Why You’re Tight
There can be many different reasons why you’re tight, but let’s stick with the most topical ones. As you’re reading this — stop and check your posture. How is it? Are you hunched over, shoulder blades at your ears, and in a poor posture? I thought so. Specific posture isn’t a reason for tightness, but staying in one position for too long definitely is. We sit at a desk for 8 hours a day, don’t walk anywhere anymore, and generally stick to our preferred exercise method so if you think about it, we don’t have too much movement variety throughout the day. Without moving in different planes of motion throughout the day, our body gets comfortable only using what we need, and this leads to tightness. Obviously, there are tons of other factors like injury, overuse, and anatomical considerations but this is the one we really need to worry about.
What can a Physical Therapist do?
Physical Therapists are equipped with the best tools to get you out of tightness and pain, and back to being yourself. Our Boston Physical Therapists use a variety of methods like dry needling, manual therapy, active release technique, and other progressive modalities to immediately get you out of tightness, and moving better. These affected are transient, but what they do is create a climate in the muscles and joints for them to move better. This window of opportunity allows for the body to feel better, and if mobility exercise is added in this window that is where the money lives.
Physical Therapists can also prescribe and oversee corrective exercise. After they take you through an initial evaluation, carry out the modalities to get you moving better, they can then add in exercise to relieve your pain for good.
Wait, no stretching?
The money for getting you out of tightness lives in your bodies ability to be strong and confident through ranges of motion. You get this confidence and ‘loose’ feeling when you own and control your ranges of motion. Strength > stretching when it comes to tightness!
Why is this a better option?
Tightness is a fickle thing. Without proper evaluation, you won’t know the best route to go in order to get out of tightness. This is why seeing a Physical Therapists is ideal — every relationship is started with a movement evaluation to understand where you’re tight, why it’s happening, and where it’s coming from.
Oftentimes, ‘tightness’ can be masked by weakness or lack of control at a joint. No amount of massage, body work, or foam rolling can get rid of that tightness. Instead, you need to work on strength and specific mobility strength exercises that only a Physical Therapist can carry out.
How to start
Our Boston Physical Therapists see this everyday. People come in, without pain, and are just looking to reduce their tighness and enjoy an overall better life. We help them reduce their tightness, feel better in their active life, and simply get out of bed feeling their best.
Ready to get started with Physical Therapy at our Boston office?
Start with a FREE 15-minute phone call so we can discuss what tightness you’re dealing with now, and how it’s affecting your current life. On the call, we’ll take those two points, and determine what you need to do in order to get from where you are now, to where you want to be! Book your call today!
