Flexibility, Mobility, and Stabilization

The most common terms people associate with fitness is strength, endurance, weight loss, and muscle. This is all great, but one underemphasized component in fitness is mobility. Mobility is described as how well and efficiently a person is able to move. Exercise is a function and combination of numerous muscles working together to produce movement patterns. As the central nervous system (CNS) receives sensory input from an outside stimulus, the muscular system produces an appropriate motor response for movement. In order for the body to function optimally, there must be congruency between the information coming in and the motor response going out.

A person with great mobility can perform functional movements without restrictions in range of motion of those movement. Flexibility can be a component of mobility, but a flexible person might not have the same balance and coordination to perform functional movements as a person with great mobility. Mobility relies on multiple ranges of motion rather than just moving in one axis. Muscle, fascia, and connective tissue surrounding joint function to create movement and controlling joint position while in motion. Great mobility should allow a joint to experience full and unrestricted range of motion through different planes. Lack of movement within a joint can lead to potential atrophy of muscle due to certain accessory muscles needing to be recruited to help compensate for a lack of functionality. As the joint doesn’t move properly, neither do the muscles attached to it. This can also lead to a lack of support and stabilization within a certain area.

How Chiropractic Care Helps Mobility and Stability

Chiropractic care can help with joint mobility by allowing certain immobile joints to become mobile. Our Chiropractor, Doctor Shahen Simian, has been treating patients and atheletes for years. By realigning the spine, pressure is taken off of not only the exiting nerve roots, but also the joints to allow the muscles, tissue, and fascia to function more efficiently. Foam rolling and performing mobilization exercises can further help this cause. Being sedentary and remaining immobile for prolonged periods of time can cause stress to the joints and muscles “locking” them up and not allowing them to function as they should. Movement is key so it is important to get up and move around every 30 minutes or so to help prevent this joint locking from occurring.

The neck, mid back, low back, and hip flexors and common areas where our chiropractor finds people generally feel tight and immobile. These can be treated with soft tissue work, stretching, and strengthening. It is important to work in stages. Maintain good flexibility by stretching, keeping mobile by performing mobilization exercises, and then strengthening to help offer stability and support. Bird-Dog, Cat-Camel, and Dead Bug are a few great mobility exercises used amongst weight lifters and crossfit athletes to maintain good mechanics and make sure the body is functioning optimally. Of course, depending on the lift or exercise being performing, more specific mobilization exercises should be utilized.

Stability Exercises

Stability is the last stage, after flexibility and mobility, and is very important. Stability is the ability to maintain control of joint movement and/or position by coordinating actions from surrounding tissues and the neuromuscular system. Keeping your joints stable will, in turn, improve movements and lifts like the squat and deadlift. The plank, single leg Romanian deadlift, and pistol box squat are a few good stability exercises to engage the appropriate muscle and help strengthen them. Stabilizing and strengthening will also help prevent future injuries or problems from occurring. Combining flexibility, mobility, and stability is key in allowing you to move more efficiently and see forward progress safely in your fitness goals.

Increase Flexibility, Mobility, and Stability with our Chiropractor in Burbank

Our Chiropractor in Burbank invites you to take health back into your own hands. After a sports Injury, Doctor Simian discovered how Chiropractic care can help healing. Utilizing chiropractic to increase mobility and flexibility has allowed our patients, of all ages, feel better and live better. +1-818-688-2275