Almost all chronic joint pain or overuse injuries are caused by tightness and restrictions in the muscles above and or below the joint in question.
In other words, it’s not about PAIN SITE… it’s about PAIN SOURCE!
Knee pain is often caused by restrictions in the tissue of your calves and front/inner/outer thighs (Quads).
Back pain is often caused by restrictions in your glutes and hamstrings.
Shoulder pain is often caused by restrictions in your thoracic spine (T-Spine), chest and lats.
Tissue quality describes the general health of your muscles and the interconnected web of fascia that surrounds them all. Over time, we develop scar tissue, adhesions, knots and trigger points due to high-intensity training, overuse, and/or extended periods of sitting.
The best way to address this is to self-massage sore, tight, and restricted muscle groups of the body to regenerate tissue both pre and post-workout to promote injury reduction and allow for a smoother, more productive workout.
In addition, self-massage before stretching allows for a better, more complete stretch by smoothing out the knots. You should always precede flexibility work with tissue quality for best results.
Massage is one of those counter-intuitive things where you are actually actively searching for pain. In fact, it’s the only time to ever do so when it comes to proper training.
Think about this:
If it hurts that much when you put pressure on your muscles, just imagine how bad your joints must feel!