Do you ever feel like you stretch constantly, and yet your aches, pains, and knots keep coming back? Or even get worse? If so, you’re not alone. As a massage therapist who performs bodywork, I hear this story from people all the time. In this article, I want to share my perspective on why stretching doesn’t work for everyone and offer more effective approaches. I hope this helps you expand your scope of self-care to get out of pain and start feeling better faster.
In this article, I’m referring specifically to passive static stretching, the most common and widely known form of stretching in which you are relaxed, holding a stretch for an extended period.
Stretching Isn’t Specific Enough
The muscle pain and tightness you feel is related to adhesions in your soft tissues, often called “knots” or “trigger points,” and are painful in a good way when pressure is applied to them. These strands of muscle and fascia are bound together and restricted, limiting their blood supply, oxygen, and nutrients. Over time, these tissues become dehydrated and inflamed, which is why they feel tight, crunchy, and painful to the touch, while healthy tissue feels soft and bouncy.
A major limitation of stretching is that it only lengthens a muscle from either end; it doesn’t focus on the specific restriction points the pain is coming from. What you’re left with is a long, loose muscle that’s just as knotted up as it was prior to stretching. Imagine your headphones get all tangled up in your pocket: stretching and pulling them apart will only help to an extent; you have to actually untie each knot for them to be functional again.
Trigger point therapy and myofascial release work focus directly on the points of restriction. Applying pressure to precise areas releases restrictions and rehydrates the tissue, restoring the natural range of motion without having to stretch at all. Research shows that five minutes of sustained pressure can even have an anti-inflammatory effect. You can do this independently using a simple tool such as a tennis or lacrosse ball, locating a knot or trigger point, and applying deep, sustained pressure to the spot until the pain decreases. I’ve seen this be an absolute game-changer for people who have stretched for years without results.
4 Reasons Why Stretching May Not Work
- Tension isn’t the problem Usually, people stretch under the assumption that their muscles have too much tension. However, as discussed above, the pain may result from dehydration, inflammation, or oxygen deprivation. Tension isn’t the problem; in fact, tension is actually healthy. Your soft tissue is what supports all your bones and organs; without sufficient tension in the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia, your whole structure would collapse under the force of gravity. Picture a tent: if the walls have no tension in them, if there is nothing to hold up the poles, the tent will collapse.
- You’re already flexible enough; you may be overstretching The problem with stretching, especially in the long term (and especially in people who are already hypermobile or overly flexible), is that it trains your soft tissue to be loose. Being too loose can lead to more pain because without tensile strength in the muscles, holding an upright posture will be extremely difficult, and any movement will be more problematic as the joints are unsupported. Most injuries happen at the extreme range of motion; healthy tension distributed throughout the body prevents your joints from entering extreme ranges of motion at the wrong time, therefore making you less prone to injury.
- Muscle weakness is the real culprit I encourage strength training that focuses on often underdeveloped muscle groups such as the core, glutes, and upper back. This will likely relieve pain much faster than stretching. What’s even better is training the body as a whole rather than strengthening muscles in isolation. Some training methods that focus on integrating the whole body are Functional Patterns, Flobility, and GOATA.
- You have a muscular imbalance When the muscles on either side of the body are not equal in strength, it can pull your bones and joints out of alignment.
Why Shouldn’t I Prioritize Flexibility?
When you move, your muscles are stretched naturally. However, the kind of stretching that happens in movement is different from passive static stretching. In movement, every stretch facilitates propulsion. Imagine a slingshot: you stretch the elastic band to its full length, and once released, it contracts, propelling an object forward in space. Now imagine you’re throwing a big beach ball: holding the ball, you reach your arms overhead and arch your back, creating a stretch through the whole front line of your body. Then, once stretched to the max, the front line of your body, like an elastic band, contracts to throw the ball. This same dynamic happens when you’re walking, running, or doing any kind of movement.
Your muscles are meant to be elastic and bouncy, to go back and forth between stretching and contracting. When you stretch a muscle–and hold the stretch—never using that stretch to facilitate motion, you’re training your muscles to lose their elasticity and to switch off when you need them to contract.
Any form of movement that you enjoy will provide an active and dynamic stretch for specific muscle groups. I understand that when you’re in pain, movement often exacerbates it, and that’s why the first two action steps I’ve shared–myofascial release and functional strength training–are essential. Releasing restrictions in the soft tissue and training muscles to contract when you need them to will make movement safer and more effective.
Final Thoughts
The last factor that comes into play in this dynamic relationship is that muscle pain is often a downstream effect due to problems in other body systems, such as the nervous, digestive, or lymphatic systems. If the techniques and strategies above don’t work for you or only work partially, you must address other systems. We can do this through Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation techniques, and myriad other strategies.
To summarize: if you’re struggling to find relief with stretching, a practice of myofascial release, strength training, and dynamic movement is more likely to help in both the short and long term. The body will always humble us with its complexity, and when old strategies no longer work, it’s important to be open to new possibilities and experimentation.
Sources
- Ingraham, Paul (2023) “Quite a Stretch” https://www.painscience.com/articles/stretching.php
- Myers, Thomas(2015)“Tensegrity Applied to Human Biomechanics” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzX-PeU_MTo
- Functional Patterns (2022) “The Dysfunctions of Stretching” https://functionalpatterns.com/blogs/articles/dysfunctions-of-stretching?_pos=1&_sid=8e3e9511f&_ss=r
- Cadman, Laura (2019)“How is Myofascial Release Different?” https://www.premierwellnesspt.com/blog/Fibromyalgia
Ken is a licensed massage therapist and certified personal trainer committed to helping patients resolve long-standing chronic symptoms and feel their best. His comprehensive approach to bodywork addresses all parts of the body holistically. In seeking answers for his own aches, pains, and anxieties, Ken found many high-level mentors in the fields of bodywork and training and learned many of the skills necessary to bring bodies back to balance and coherence. He specializes in Craniosacral Therapy, Myofascial Release, Visceral Manipulation, functional biomechanics, and posture training. Ken received his massage license from East West College and certifications from Moving Mountain Institute, Upledger Institute, Functional Patterns, and the American Council on Exercise. Learn more about Ken Stern
