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Muscle imbalance is any muscle tension disorder. Muscle tension is essential for the ability to move. It is the resistance when a muscle is passively stretched. While some muscles have a tendency towards attenuation (hypotonia, weakening, hypoactivation), in other muscles, on the contrary, we observe a tendency towards hypertonia and muscle shortening. Why is this happening?
Muscles that tend to weaken are normally younger than muscles that tend to shorten. Their postural function is also linked to the younger skeletal morphology, which affects their development. It is a very young and thus very fragile unit of the musculoskeletal system.
The distribution of muscle tension disorder is very characteristic we therefore speak of syndromes:
Upper crossed syndrome
In the brachial plexus area, a muscle disorder occurs, this is characterized by:
There is a disturbance of the dynamics of the cervical spine resulting in a forward posture of the head in two types:
There is increased lordosis of the upper cervical spine with a peak at the level of the cervical4. vertebra and at the level of the 4. of the thoracic vertebra, i.e. the flexion posture. As a consequence, the transition between the cervical spine and the skull, the C4/5 segment and the segment of the spine at the level of the 4th thoracic vertebra are overloaded.
There is increased lordosis of the entire spine, or the upper thoracic spine is flattened (clinically appearing as lordotic), and consequently the transition between the cervical spine and the skull, the area between the 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae (C4/5 segment) and the area between the 4th and 5th thoracic vertebrae (Th4/5 segment) is congested. Disturbance in these segments causes irritation in the cervical area. Alterations in the C4/5 segment cause discomfort in the shoulder joint area via the axillary nerve and may affect the mechanics of breathing via the phrenicus nerve. Disturbance of the Th4/5 segment is associated with vertebrocardiac syndrome. In the brachial plexus region, there is a weakening of the inferior scapular fixators, which leads through the position of the scapulae to the verticalization of the glenohumeral joint. A protraction (protraction) of the shoulders occurs. The disorder causes overloading of the m. supraspinatus and ultimately its degeneration. At the same time, it causes overloading of the m. levator scapulae.
Lower crossed syndrome
Typical symptoms of this syndrome are:
The consequence is increased anteversion (forward tilt) of the pelvis with increased lordosis in the lumbar area. The consequence is insufficient extension at the hip joint when walking, which causes even greater pelvic anteversion. There is significant overloading of the lumbosacral transition and uneven loading of the hip joints, leading to subsequent adaptive remodelling. At the same time, the posterior edges of the intervertebral discs are overloaded. The direction of the facets of the intervertebral joints changes. On the basis of the articular irritation, which is provoked by this position, paravertebral contractures arise. In lower crossed syndrome, the thoracolumbar junction becomes the site of fixation during gait. Subsequently, this creates a loosening in the lumbosacral transition. This condition is referred to as an instable cross. In the therapeutic solution, it is necessary to influence the muscular imbalance as a whole.
Layer syndrome
It is the alternation of muscle hypertonia (increased tension), or hypertrophy (increase in tension) and hypotonia (decreased tension), or hypotrophy (decrease in tension). On the back of the body, there are alternating layers of tense ischiocrural muscles (hamstrings- back of the thigh), then weakened gluteal muscles and lumbosacral segments of the trunk extensors (muscles around the lumbar spine), followed by a layer of tense trunk extensors in the area of the Th/L transition (muscles around the transition of the thoracolumbar spine), then a layer of weakened interscapular muscles and a tense layer of interscapular muscles (muscles around the thoracolumbar transition). Trapezius in its upper part. On the ventral side (anterior side of the body), we see weakening of the abdominal muscles and increased tension in the m. pectoralis major (pectoral muscles) and m. sternocleidomastoideus (muscle on the side of the neck). Furthermore, there is an increased tension in the m. Iliopsoas and m. rectus femoris (anterior thigh).
