In a recent article on muscle guarding, the Washington Post featured Dr. Stephen Clark, PT, DPT, OCS, ATCI, Clinical Innovations Director at Confluent Health.
When a person experiences muscle guarding, the brain seeks to protect an injured area by controlling the surrounding muscles so they do not function or lock, defending the body against additional pain or injury. “Muscle guarding may be a conscious or unconscious response. White knuckling while driving, making a fist in frustration, clenching or tightening up before a car accident, or contracting your arm before your older sibling punches you are all examples of muscle guarding,” explained Dr. Clark.
Muscle guarding occurs because we’re trained from a young age that following an injury, we need to take it easy to let it heal. When the brain assesses a situation involving an injury, it considers several factors: history (have we been in this situation before and what was the outcome?), context (where am I and what am I doing?), emotional state (am I relaxed or am I stressed?), and perception of threat (is this going to harm me?). Initially, this check-in is beneficial as it protects the injured area during healing. However, when this leads to chronic muscle guarding, the person may experience more pain because the brain hyper focuses on protecting the injured area.
If you have any questions regarding muscle guarding, use our interactive map tool to find a physical therapist near you . To read the full article, please follow this link: https://wapo.st/44x1bwT.