When Stretching Does More Harm Than Good

Both the muscle and the fascia that surrounds it can be stretched. But certain conditions can greatly reduce the ultimate length that either can be safely stretched.

When a muscle has significant trigger points, many of the myofibrils are very tight and shorter than normal. A myofibril is a string of sarcomeres, the actual structures that open and close when you use your muscles.

When you have a muscular trigger point, you have myofibrils where these sarcomeres are stuck in their contracted positions. Healthy sarcomeres in the same myofibril can still stretch and some may be stretching all of the time.

If you stretch a muscle where things are already stretched to the limit, you risk overstretching. And it does not make the muscle more flexible.

The stuck sarcomeres have to be unstuck. And that's not easy. But its the only way.