In this context, pain is beneficial—it prevents further damage. When you feel pain while lifting your arm or bending your knee, it’s because the mechanical pressure on the muscle has increased beyond what your body can tolerate. This could result from muscle overstretching or over-compressing, such as enduring a hard-core style massage.

Muscles are attached to bones, and overusing certain muscle groups can cause them to become tight and shorter, altering the relative position of the bones. Conversely, changes in bone position can affect muscle tension, creating a cycle where some muscle groups become tighter while others are overstretched.

Typically, you won’t feel pain in shortened and inhibited muscles because the mechanical tension is not high enough to cause damage. In contrast, overstretched muscles are more likely to cause pain. For example, if you stretch your hamstring beyond its normal range, you will likely experience discomfort or pain.

Understanding Muscle Groups and Joints
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A muscle is always attached to different bones, and achieving full range of motion requires multiple muscle groups working together. A joint, where two bones connect, is controlled by several different muscle groups pulling from various directions.

When there is an imbalance or misalignment in these muscle groups, it can lead to abnormal stress on the joints and bones, causing pain. For example, if certain muscle groups become tight and shorter due to overuse, they can alter the position of the bones they are attached to. Conversely, changes in bone position can affect muscle tension, creating a cycle where some muscle groups become tighter while others are overstretched.

The Role of Misalignment in Pain

So when muscles are overstretched due to misaligned structures or local overuse, they create abnormal stress on the joints and bones.

​This leads to pain, as the body signals that something is wrong. For instance, shoulder pain often results from the shoulder blades sliding away from the thorax. This misalignment can be caused by two main factors: tight forearms pulling the shoulder blades away, or a rotated lower body rotating the thorax and pulling it away from the shoulder blades. Identifying the root cause of the misalignment is crucial for effective treatment, rather than simply addressing the symptoms with foam rolling, massage, stretching, or local manipulation.

Conclusion

Many conditions commonly diagnosed as arthritis may not involve inflammation at all. Instead, they result from misalignments and imbalances within the whole body. By addressing these imbalances and restoring proper alignment, it should alleviate pain and improve function without targeting inflammation.

Understanding the complex interplay between pain and body alignment is crucial for identifying the true source of pain and developing effective treatment strategies.

Treating pain caused by misalignment with approaches focused only on pain relief, such as stretching, taking painkillers, or using temporary fixes like foam rolling and massage, will not address the underlying issue and can potentially worsen the body's condition.

By focusing on correcting misalignments and imbalances, we can achieve long-term pain relief and improved overall function.