There is no doubt that there are huge health benefits to be gained by eating well, managing our stress levels and exercising regularly. But what if that exercise or increased activity is causing injury?

One of the most popular forms of exercise, running which does have great health benefits, also has a very high incidence of injury associated with it (Van Mechelen W., 1992).

There are many potential reasons for this but the main one is over training, in other words doing too much too soon. This is true for serious competitive athletes as well as those looking to increase their activity levels for health reasons.

One of the tools I use in clinic to help me understand what is happening is muscle testing. I use this to measure the output from your nervous system and identify muscles that are not working properly or impaired at a reflexive level (more about that later). Often by the time people visit me they already have a problem so the inclination is to think that the pain or damage has caused the muscle impairment that I am finding. However, I think it is more likely that the impairment was present before the injury and is a factor in the injury. This is especially true if you don’t really know how an injury or painful condition has come about.

It is generally accepted in medical circles that ligaments provide stability to joints and tendons and muscles move joints. This it too simple, in a static posture that may well be the case, but during movement the requirement for muscles to function in a supporting role cannot be underestimated.

Everyone is familiar with the reflex test used in medicine especially the patellar reflex test where the tendon below the kneecap is hit with a rubber hammer and the doctor expects to see a reflexive movement of the leg. This test is usually used as a screening tool in medicine but little thought is given to what these reflexes are actually for and why we have them.

Reflexes are a very important autonomic function that our bodies use to protect us from forces acting on us.  They maintain the overall tone of our muscles via the myotactic reflex and protect us from more immediate problems like standing on a sharp object or recoiling from something like a burn via the flexor withdrawal reflex. If, for whatever reason, they are not working properly your risk of hurting yourself is increased. 

So how can this impairment cause a problem - If we can imagine jumping up in the air and landing we don’t give much thought to the landing it is taken care of automatically by our reflexes. If we could extend that out to running, which is really just a series of one legged jumps, whilst moving forward, it is not hard to imagine how an impairment of this system even minor, could cause or contribute to a foot, knee or hip injury.

I believe that part of reducing the risk of injury is to understand how well your nervous system and your reflexes are working. Removing any reasons that impair that system will help to mitigate the chances of injury.  Likewise if you are suffering from injuries that you just can’t seem to rehabilitate from or keep reoccurring assessing your reflexes can give a better understanding of why that might be, and how to get back doing the things that you enjoy.

Van Mechelen W (1992) Running injuries. A review of the epidemiological literature. Sports Med. 1992 Nov;14(5):320-35.