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When you're dealing with tightness, pain, or limited mobility, it's natural to wonder: "Should I stretch this out or work on strengthening it?" The answer isn't always straightforward—but getting it right can mean the difference between spinning your wheels and making real progress.
At Highland Spine and Sport, we help active individuals in Roanoke understand their bodies better so they can move better, feel better, and live better. Here’s a simple breakdown to help you decide when to stretch and when to strengthen.
Stretching can be effective when you're dealing with:
If a muscle feels short and restricted across multiple movements (not just one direction), it may truly lack flexibility. This happens when the muscle fibers themselves are shortened due to overuse, prolonged sitting, or postural habits.
Examples:
Sometimes a muscle "tightens up" in response to pain or perceived instability. While stretching may help in the short term, this type of tightness often points to a deeper issue (more on that below).
Often, what feels "tight" is actually a weak or underperforming muscle that’s doing too much to compensate.
This is a common red flag. If you're constantly foam rolling or stretching your hip flexors, calves, or upper traps—and they just keep tightening up—it usually means they’re overworking to stabilize an underactive area.
Instead: Focus on strengthening the muscles that are supposed to be doing the job.
Example:
If you wobble during lunges, feel shaky during squats, or struggle to control your movement, chances are your body is compensating. Strengthening the stabilizing muscles (like your glutes, core, and scapular stabilizers) helps offload tension and restore balance.
In many cases, the solution isn't just one or the other—it's both.
For example:
The key is addressing the underlying imbalance, not just the symptom.
When you come in for an evaluation, we don’t just chase pain or tightness—we figure out why it's happening. Our process involves:
Ready to get started? Booking an appointment is easy!