Stretching is supposed to be a good thing, helping you relieve muscle tension after a long period of sitting or after working your muscles through a tough workout. When stretching turns painful, however, it is no longer beneficial. Known as overstretching, this occurrence can lead to injury. Pain when stretching also can indicate an underlying joint condition, such as arthritis.
Overstretching Signs
Sometimes telling the difference between a regular stretch and overstretching can be difficult. Signs you are overstretching include experiencing sharp pains when bending into a stretch or muscle cramping that starts when you stretch. If you engaged in only a stretching session and feel sore the next day, this also can be a sign you have overstretched. Your best judgment also is very important. You should not perform a deep stretch -- like the splits -- if you have never attempted it. Any time you engage in a deep or complicated stretch, you run the risk of overstretching.
Anti-Pain Stretching Technique
One reason stretching can lead to pain is that you are engaging in incorrect stretching methods. Sinking into a stretch too quickly causes your muscles to react and quickly contract as a protective, yet painful mechanism. Instead, try stretching the muscles more slowly. Ease into the stretch feeling your muscles give and stretching until you meet resistance. Feeling slight discomfort is OK, but stop before the discomfort gives way to pain. If you do feel pain in a stretch, slowly return to a more comfortable position.
Long-Term Effects
Continuing to engage in painful stretching can have long-term effects. First, you may lose flexibility because your muscles contract as an adverse reaction to overstretching, leaving your muscle tighter. Secondly, you can tear or strain muscles from overstretching. If you experience pain and muscle soreness in stretched areas over a period of several days, you may have injured yourself.
Arthritis and Painful Stretching
When you are younger, your body tolerates and adjusts to overstretching slightly better. This is because as you age, your joints and cartilage begin to wear down. If this degeneration turns into arthritis -- a condition that causes your joints to rub against each other and become painful -- you may notice pain when stretching. This is because arthritis can cause instability in your joints and muscles. When you stretch too far, you are placing extra strain on unstable joints and muscles, which can cause pain. While stretching is generally beneficial to an arthritis sufferer, there are instances where you should decrease the intensity of a stretch until an arthritis flare-up subsides.
