That tight hamstring you’ve been stretching might be your nervous system asking for something else entirely.

When pain shows up in one place, the source is often somewhere else. Dr. Andrew Fix walks through a real patient case from Physio Room where a woman who was experiencing persistent pain in her hamstring had been doing what most people do: stretching it out and hoping mobility work would eventually help. The sciatic nerve originates from the lowest nerve roots of the lumbar spine, and when those roots get irritated, the nerve signals the hamstring to hold protective tension. What feels like tightness is the nervous system protecting itself. Stretching works against that response.

In many cases like this one, the root cause is a lack of spinal stability. Without adequate muscular control around the pelvis and lumbar spine, gravity loads the vertebral joints and compresses the nerve roots every time you sit or stand. Dr. Fix explains how positional testing revealed exactly this pattern: her hamstring tested pain-free lying down but reproduced symptoms seated. When she was cued to engage her deep core before repeating the painful test, symptoms dropped roughly 70% without a single hands-on intervention. The muscle was the same. The spinal load was not.

How often are people chasing mobility and flexibility when the real missing ingredient is stability and control? Dr. Fix makes the case for thorough assessment before any treatment begins, and offers a clear signal to watch for: if a practitioner skips the diagnostic work and goes straight to treating what you describe, it is worth getting a second opinion.

Quotes

• “Nerves are like electrical cords. They don’t enjoy being tugged on.” (04:25 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “Your body’s trying to have this protective mechanism, we’re trying to stretch and take it away, and we’re not necessarily helping ourselves out. We’re temporarily relieving symptoms, but we’re not addressing the real issue at hand.” (04:40 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “When you have a lack of stability, what you cannot do is you cannot stretch it away. Because stretching doesn’t give you stability. Stability is like strength and control, your ability to control the joints and the tissues while you’re going through movement.” (05:20 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “It hurts when there’s no stability being created for the spine. But it doesn’t hurt or doesn’t hurt nearly as much when we do create some stability for the spine.” (11:17 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “They shouldn’t be just starting to treat something before they’ve really done a thorough assessment to know what they need to treat in the first place.” (13:54 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

Links

SideKick Tool

Movemate: Award-Winning Active Standing Board

15% off Promo Code: DRA15

RAD Roller

Revogreen

HYDRAGUN 

Athletic Brewing

20% off: ANDREWF20

Connect with Physio Room:

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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 229. What if Your Tightness is Trying to Protect You? appeared first on Physio Room.

Mobility has a massive impact on our health and performance and are unique challenges across the spectrum from extremely mobile and stiffer and less flexible. If you’re someone who prides themselves on their flexibility, Dr. Fix reveals that having a lot of range of motion can actually lead to stability issues. He explains how those who are extremely mobile often need to focus on strengthening the smaller stabilizer muscles to maintain control and prevent injuries. On the other hand, if you’ve always been on the stiffer side, Dr. Fix discusses the importance of working on true mobility and finding ways to increase range of motion while also building strength and stability.

This episode offers valuable insights into the balance between flexibility and stability, and how it can impact your overall health and wellness. Dr. Fix shares practical strategies and exercises to help you optimize your mobility and prevent injuries. So, whether you’re a yoga enthusiast or a sprinter, this episode will provide you with the knowledge and tools to enhance your performance and take your health to the next level.

Key Takeaways:

• Having a lot of mobility and flexibility can lead to challenges in stability and control.

• People who are very mobile may need to focus on strengthening the smaller stabilizer muscles to maintain control during movements.

• Those who are stiffer may need to work on mobility and range of motion, and then strengthen the muscles in those positions to maintain flexibility.

• Both mobility and stiffness come with their own set of challenges and predispose individuals to different types of activities.

• It is important to individualize treatment and exercise plans based on an individual’s specific needs and challenges.

Quotes:

• “Because you have so much range of motion, you’re so flexible, you’re so mobile, most of your challenges or the issues that arise in your body come from needing more stability.” (:01:54 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

• “If you lack range of motion, say that you have tight hip flexors or your hips are stiff, and you do things such as stretching, such as banded joint mobilizations, such as seeing the chiropractor or the physical therapist, getting hip adjustments and manipulations, and your hip starts to loosen up, you now have to layer in the strength in the newfound range of motion that you have.” (10:12 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

• “If you don’t use it, you lose it, right? It’s plain and simple as that. If you gain motion and you don’t use it, you don’t get strong in it, you will lose it.” (10:54 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

• “Almost always a weak muscle is a tight muscle.” (07:55 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

• “If you’re super mobile and have a lot of range of motion and you don’t work on stability, your body is going to be used to hanging on its joints.” (11:06 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

Links

Flux Footwear

Coupon Code: drandrewfix

10% off

Xero Shoes: 10% off https://xeroshoes.com/go/drandrewfix

drinklmnt.com/physioroom – free variety pack with purchase.

RAD Roller – $5 off

http://radroller.refr.cc/drandrewfix

Revogreen

https://revogreen.co/drandrewfix

Connect with Physio Room: 

Website | ​​https://physioroomco.com/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/physioroomco/

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/physioroomco

Andrew’s Personal Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drandrewfix/

Andrew’s Personal Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/andrew.fix.9/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The post 93. Mobility vs. Stiffness Striking the Perfect Balance appeared first on Physio Room.