PhysioDC

Physical Therapy

  • Home
  • About
    • Physical Therapists
      • Daniel Baumstark
      • Christopher Cousins
      • Kira Davis
      • Christina Eidi
      • Molly Horan
      • Bradley Rosenblum
      • Jahan Shiekhy
    • Treatment Philosophy
    • Patient Reviews
    • Resources
  • Services
    • Physical Therapy
    • Hand Therapy
    • Running Analysis
    • Functional Dry Needling
    • Concussion Management
    • Dance Rehabilitation
    • Custom Orthotics
    • Personal Training
  • Products
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Photo Gallery
    • Exercise Videos
  • Forms
  • Billing
    • Insurance
    • Payments
  • Blog
    • Select Your Body Part
  • Directions
  • Contact

The Truth about Flexibility, Part 1

Last updated on January 10, 2020 By Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT 4 Comments

relaxing exercise
Flexibility is portrayed both in the media and in the fitness industry as a key factor in joint and muscle health. The current train of thought appears to be, “The more flexible you are, the less likely you are to injure yourself.” The recent popularity of yoga in the United States bolsters this viewpoint. It is difficult to walk down the street without seeing someone toting a yoga mat.

Yoga, if practiced correctly and within the constraints of one’s ability, has the potential to be a useful tool in maintaining health. Many yoga poses have functional relevance. For example, the cobra position facilitates extension of the lower back, a position that is often lost from sitting on an office chair for eight hours daily. The tree pose addresses strength and balance within one’s center of gravity.

Many people derive positive mental and physical benefits from yoga who would have otherwise been sedentary. The focus of this blog however deals with how to correctly attain IDEAL flexibility.

The reality of yoga is somewhat different from its public persona. The simple truth is many practitioners of yoga either already have, or develop through the practice of yoga, too much flexibility. Excessive flexibility can result in stretched out joints and muscles that do not function optimally.

A common injury to see with practitioners of yoga is chronic lower back pain. Upon examining these individuals, abnormal amounts of flexibility both in the hips and in the joints of the vertebral segments of the lower back is seen. These people often have pelvises that are “unstable”, and translate too much from side to side with gait.

While lying on the examination table, a hypermobile person is able to bring his or her leg well above ninety degrees while keeping the knee straight. (picture) This is a sign of muscles that are in a chronically lengthened position. All of this can arise from performing an activity that is heralded as slow, kind, and gentle.

The dangers of overstretching are two-fold. The first danger is that muscles that are too long, or over stretched, cannot provide adequate support to the surrounding joints. Over stretched muscles under-perform when asked by the brain to contract through a full range of motion. This phenomenon typically is the result of maintaining a stretched position for long periods of time. This phenomena has been identified and labeled “over stretch weakness” in physical therapist Shirley A Sahrmann’s book, Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes.

Filed Under: Featured, Orthopedic Injury



Additional Articles

Managing Expectations When Recovering from a Labral Repair
When Can I Start Working Out After Shoulder Surgery?
Dealing with the Aging Process

young boy hitting soccer ball with head
Soccer Injury Treatment
trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis)
Suffering from Trigger Finger?
Why Won’t My Shoulder Rotate?

About Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT

Dan is a licensed Physical Therapist in the District of Columbia, license #PT2916. He has a Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Dan specializes in sports medicine & upper extremity rehabilitation. He is a Certified Hand Therapist, certified by the American Society of Hand Therapists (initial certification date 11/6/2004, certification #1041100023). Dan has extensive continuing education in manual therapy from the Michigan State University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Listen to our podcast.

FTC Compliance Disclaimer: PhysioDC.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.

physical therapist recommended products

Discussion

  1. Luqman says

    December 16, 2012 at 12:08 am

    Very beneficial article. Too many health claim by yoga practitioners which cause many people lower back pain which most of its victims didn’t know where the problem come from since most of the are healthy. Most victim didn’t suspect yoga/over-stretching as the main cause due to over hype of these exercise.

    I’ve been weight lifting & running since 14 years old, & never have problem, until around Nov 11, when suddenly have very painful & bulging lower back. At first I thought I must injured it thru years of weight lifting, but a physician believe its cause by yoga that I just follow for 2 years before, & overstretching my lower back muscle. Even now, there is no permanent cure for me, which sometimes can be disabling.

    Reply
  2. Dan Baumstark says

    December 16, 2012 at 10:14 am

    Thanks Luqman!

    I would stabilize as much as possible in terms of getting your core and hip muscles strengthened.

    Dan

    Reply
  3. Luqman says

    December 18, 2012 at 1:37 am

    Thanks Dan for your advice

    Reply
  4. Ruthif says

    April 24, 2013 at 11:36 am

    This is a great article. Never thought being too flexible could cause probrems, especially because people complain about the oposite. I’m going to physical therapy now and my lower back pain has decreased by at least 50%. No doctor could tell me what was wrong until my therapist determined I had an unstable pelvis. I’m very excited to improve my condition soon. Thank you!

    Reply

Ask a Physical Therapist a Question Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Disclaimer: By clicking on the I Agree button below, the individual posting a question fully understands that any response to the question is merely the opinion of the physical therapist and should not be taken as a prescribed course of action. Any advice given by the therapist must be cleared with the treating physician involved in direct patient care. The person posing the question absolves the responder of any liability in regards to opinions given.

5 − three =

Contact PhysioDC

Office: 202-223-8500
Fax: 202-379-9299
Email Us
Listen to Our Podcast

Physical Therapy Office Location

1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 330
Washington, DC 20036

Click here for directions

Offering the Following Services

  • Physical Therapy
  • Hand Therapy
  • Running Analysis
  • Functional Dry Needling
  • Concussion Management
  • Dance Rehabilitation
  • Custom Orthotics

Select Your Body Part

Click the image below to try our Select Your Body Part tool to read articles relevant to you.

Most Popular Articles

  • 1. Why Won’t My Elbow Straighten?
  • 2. When Can I Start Working Out After Shoulder Surgery?
  • 3. Managing Expectations When Recovering from Labral Repair
  • 4. Shoulder Surgery: When Can I Get Rid of My Shoulder Sling?
  • 5. Why Are My Ring Finger & Pinky Finger Numb?
  • 6. Two Long-Term Effects of Ankle Sprains
  • 7. Post-Surgical Ankle Boot? Please Get a Lift For Your Other Shoe!
  • 8. How to Sleep Comfortably after Shoulder Surgery
  • 9. Physical Therapist Reviews Shaun T’s Insanity Routine
  • 10. Do Your Ribs Move?
  • 11. Hip Labral Repair Rehabilitation: What To Expect
  • 12. Why Should I Stretch My Back on a Foam Roll?
  • 13. Physical Therapist CEUs (Continuing Education Units)

Recent Posts

  • Five Holistic Strategies for Managing Pain
  • The Healthcare Plight of the Working Dancer
  • How Long Will It Take Me To Recover From Surgery?
  • Right Side Dominant?
  • Getting en Pointe: For the Progressing Dancer
  • Ruling Out Alternative Causes Of Spinal Pain
  • Physical Therapist Reviews YouTube HITT Routines
  • Drawing: A Tool For Learning Anatomy
  • Post-Traumatic Elbow Contractures: Etiology & Therapeutic Interventions
  • Rotator Cuff or Rotator Cup?

Join the Discussion

  • Nikolai Wyman-Beauregard on Experiencing Stiff Hands?
  • Anna on Getting en Pointe: For the Progressing Dancer
  • Barbara on Why Won’t My Finger Straighten?
  • Karo on I Can’t Open My Hand All the Way: A Look at Dupuytren’s Disease
  • Jimmy on Low Back Problems Can Be a Real Pain in the Butt
  • Cathrine Katsigianni on Floor Barre Practice for Dancers
  • Cathy Freeland on Should I Use Ice or Should I Use Heat?
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Can You Balance on One Leg?
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Microfracture Knee Surgery Rehabilitation
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Review of Specialized Sleeping Pillow

PhysioDC Address

1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 330
Washington, DC 20036
Entrance on K Street

Find us on Google Maps

Office Hours

Monday-Thursday    7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Contact PhysioDC

Office: 202-223-8500
Fax: 202-379-9299

Email Us through our online contact form.

Copyright © 2023 Washington PhysioDC, LLC · Sitemap · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer
PhysioDC is a unique, physical therapist owned & operated rehabilitation clinic conveniently located in downtown Washington, D.C.

Resources · Recommended Products · Exercise Videos · Podcasts · Photo Gallery

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for Educational Purposes Only and is not designed to diagnose, treat, mitigate, prevent or cure any health conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated statements about these health topics or any suggested product compositions. Answers to questions submitted are merely the opinion of the physical therapist and should not be taken as a prescribed course of action. Any advice given by the therapist must be cleared with the treating physician involved in direct patient care. The person posing the question absolves the responder of any liability in regards to opinions given. PhysioDC insists that all patients receive approval from a prescribing physician prior to starting a structured exercise program involving any of the exercises included on this site. PhysioDC.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.