28/07/2025
This is such a good read!
It starts in one spot and ripples out.
Get on top of the issue now!
Chronic back pain can interrupt myofascial force transmission, and here’s how:
🔄 The Myofascial System & Force Transmission
The myofascial system is a continuous, interconnected web of fascia and muscle that transmits mechanical forces throughout the body. When functioning properly, it allows force generated in one area (like the hips) to be transmitted efficiently to another (like the shoulders or spine). This is essential for coordinated movement and postural stability.
🧠 How Chronic Back Pain Disrupts This System
1. Protective Muscle Guarding
Chronic pain often leads to involuntary muscle tension or bracing. This creates uneven loading and localized rigidity, blocking smooth fascial glide and limiting the transmission of force through the kinetic chain.
2. Fascial Densification or Adhesions
Prolonged inflammation and immobility can cause thickening or stickiness in the fascia. These areas resist tension and disrupt the normal transmission of mechanical forces across fascial lines.
3. Neuromuscular Inhibition
Pain alters motor control, especially in stabilizing muscles like the multifidus or transverse abdominis. Weak or inhibited muscles can’t contribute effectively to the force chain, leading to compensations.
4. Loss of Elastic Energy Transfer
Healthy fascia stores and transfers elastic energy during movement (like a spring). Chronic tension and restriction reduce this recoil capacity, making movement less efficient and more fatiguing.
5. Asymmetry in Load Distribution
Pain leads to altered movement patterns and compensatory loading, which further distorts the fascial lines and force vectors in the body.
🌀 Clinical Implications
• Reduced performance & coordination
• Increased risk of injury elsewhere (compensation)
• Slower recovery due to poor tissue adaptability
✅ Therapeutic Considerations
• Myofascial release therapy to restore glide and elasticity
• Movement re-education to correct compensation patterns
• Progressive load training to re-establish balanced force transmission
• Breathwork & vagus nerve stimulation to downregulate chronic tension
❌ This concept applies to any area of chronic pain, not just the back. Chronic pain disrupts the myofascial system’s ability to transmit and distribute force efficiently, no matter where it’s located in the body. Chronic pain is not isolated. It creates a ripple effect through the myofascial web, altering how tension, load, and movement are distributed across the body.
