Ever wondered why when you injure your left shoulder, you suddenly start getting pain in your right hip? Or when you hurt your right knee, the left side of your body seems to be feeling tighter and more tense?
Our bodies are an intricate network of slings. Slings are groups of muscles that are connected and work together. They trapse over the front, back, and diagonally across our bodies. Essentially, they’re what’s keep us together; walking; standing; shifting weight; lifting weight; rolling over; and turning around. This is the reason why when we injure ourselves, we often notice the pain or dysfunction elsewhere in our body. When you think about it, it kinda makes sense, right?
For example, when you sustain an injury in your left shoulder, the sling down to your right hip starts to tighten, and you feel pain in what seems like an oddly correlated place! When you start to release the tight shoulder, like magic your hip feels relief as well.
So, how do we look after our sling networks and get them working optimally?
Exercise is an incredible way to strengthen our slings. The exercises you need to do will be determined by the dysfunctional sling. For example, if we need to strengthen the anterior oblique sling (network that runs diagonally across the front of our body), a dead bug is a great exercise as opposite arms and legs are working at the same time. If we need to work the posterior sling, Romanian deadlifts are a great option.
The benefits of supporting our slings are extensive and provide a great foundation for injury prevention as well as basic strength training. Ideally, you will work through all anatomical planes – sagittal, transverse and frontal – to ensure as many slings are targeted as possible.
At Pivotal, this is our bread and butter. Our physios can work with you to tailor an individual program to strengthen your slings using our studio, as well as simple movements you can practice at home. If you’re stiff and sore, prone to falls and injuries, or know someone who is, let us help!
~ Lucy Hayes, Physiotherapist
