What are Altered Movement Patterns?
Muscles facilitate joint movement in the body and help maintain posture. Muscle strength can change due to different reasons, which include sitting or standing, repetitive motion, injury, lack of exercise, and deconditioning causing a muscle imbalance in the body. Often, an altered movement pattern can be detected as an early sign of muscular imbalance that is the result of one or more muscles being inhibited due to poor posture and/or deconditioning of muscles in a specific area.
An ”altered movement pattern” is a movement pattern in which a change occurs in the coordination of the muscle firing sequences for a specific group of muscles, facilitating a specific joint movement. The primary muscle responsible for the specific joint movement may become weak and inhibited, causing a synergistic muscle or muscles to become the primary muscle or muscles responsible for that joint movement. As a result, a different sequence of muscular contractions occurs called “an altered movement pattern”.
The altered movement pattern is a sign of muscle imbalance in the body because of muscular dysfunction. Altered movement patterns do not occur randomly and are normally noted with changes in posture.
Summary
By learning more about altered movement patterns, we can better understand how to prevent and treat symptoms associated with it. When altered movement patterns are present, whatever is required depends on the area affected and the symptoms present, and that is why it is important to have a team of doctors that is able to identify the root cause.
At BBC Health in Lewisville, Texas, we know how to identify, treat, or refer in the proper direction for any problems with your movement patterns. As a primary care provider, we can quickly provide medical, chiropractic, and rehab treatments in order to get you well as fast as possible. If you’re suffering from pain, don’t delay, and contact us immediately to see how we can help.
