Why You Shouldn’t Ignore a Biomechanical Assessment for Muscle and Joint Pain
Written by Joseph George (PT)
Muscle and joint pain is something almost everyone experiences at some point. Whether it’s a nagging lower back, stiff neck, or aching knees, these discomforts can seriously impact your daily routine. While it’s tempting to focus only on relieving the pain, it’s just as important to figure out why it’s happening in the first place.
That’s where a biomechanical assessment comes in—and trust us, it can make a huge difference in both recovery and prevention.
What Is a Biomechanical Assessment?
Think of a biomechanical assessment as a deep dive into how your body moves. A trained professional looks at your posture, how flexible your joints are, which muscles are doing too much (or not enough), and how your body balances itself when you walk, stand, or sit.
Why does this matter? Because pain often doesn’t start in the place where it hurts.
For example:
Your knee might hurt because your hip isn’t moving properly.
Your lower back might ache because your upper back is stiff.
Your shoulder pain could be a result of how you’re sitting at your desk all day.
A biomechanical assessment helps find these hidden causes, so you can treat the real issue—not just the symptom.
Let’s Talk Muscle Balance: The Length-Tension Relationship
Here’s a key concept: muscles work best when they’re not too tight and not too stretched. This is called the length-tension relationship.
Muscles have an ideal length where they produce the most strength. If they’re too tight (shortened) or too stretched out (lengthened), they become weak and less effective. That’s when other muscles start compensating—and pain starts showing up.
Here are a couple of real-world examples:
Sitting for long hours can make your hip muscles tight. This pulls your pelvis forward, putting pressure on your lower back.
Weak muscles around your hips may not support your pelvis well, which can lead to knee or back pain when walking or standing.
By restoring proper muscle balance—stretching the tight ones and strengthening the weak ones—you improve how your body moves and significantly reduce your chances of getting hurt again.
Why It’s Worth It?
A biomechanical assessment, paired with a focus on muscle balance, offers real benefits:
Pinpoints the root cause of your pain
Personalizes your treatment (no cookie-cutter programs here!)
Improves posture and movement
Prevents injuries before they happen
Whether you’re dealing with ongoing pain or just want to move better and feel stronger, this approach gets to the core of what’s going on with your body.
The Bottom Line
Pain isn’t always about a specific injury—it’s often about how your body is working (or not working) together. A biomechanical assessment helps uncover the real story behind your symptoms, and understanding the muscle length-tension relationship is a game-changer in recovery.
Don’t just treat the pain. Fix the problem.
Have questions or want to book a biomechanical assessment?
Drop us a message or visit us in clinic—we’d love to help you move better and feel your best.