Don't Stretch The Truth

Stretching And Mobility Work Can Be Helpful – Or Downright Harmful. Here’s How To Nail The Balance

- Dr. Mike Posthumus

When I was 23, I used to prepare for sets of heavy low-rep squats by lying on my back, spine rotated, with my knee bent across my body, and I’d count slowly to 30. Back then I was a loose head prop, and those heavy lifts were a crucial part of my strength work. But at the time, I’d been suffering recurring issues with my spine. Compressive forces and heavy lifts – or just twisting to reach for the coffee on the top shelf – would see me collapsing with severe back spasms. These weren’t trivial; I’d often land up in hospital, immobilised and in pure agony. Not knowing much anatomy, and even less about spinal pathology, I relied on an orthopaedic surgeon to explain to me that I’d aggravated a facet joint, and luckily had not suffered any disk injury or herniation. The spasms were my body’s protective mechanism, to make sure no further damage was done.