09/28/2025
Today, Kimberly Miller met with a client who was dealing with acid reflux/regurgitation of food and a heel spur. They thought there was a piece of glass in the foot causing the raised lump. Due to the young client wearing crocs all the time with no back strap and running with the crocs on, the clients foot flexors were working in overdrive to keep the shoe on. This caused a dysfunction in gait and in the thoracic spine. The excess pressure on the heel due to overuse of the foot flexors, created raised tissue and pain in the heel. This also caused excess tightness in the upper mid back on the contralateral side, impacting neural communication to the GI tract. The release of the compensating muscle in the paraspinals, the left calf muscle and left foot flexors, eliminated the dysfunction in gait and will now help this client heal. He was assigned simple corrective exercises at home to take the pressure off of these areas, offering neuromuscular rehab. She also added in laser therapy from a 20 W Class IV laser from LuminaHealto aid in muscle correction and tissue repair. This client may need one more session for complete healing. Updates coming soon.
Why does the body recruit excess tissue when there is extra tension in the muscular system?
1. Protective response of the body
When a muscle is chronically tight or pulling too strongly across a joint, the body perceives it as a potential threat to joint integrity. To reduce strain and buffer the stress, the body can respond by laying down extra soft tissue—like connective tissue thickening, fibrotic buildup, or swelling—around the joint edges. This acts as a kind of “padding” or reinforcement.
2. Fascia and connective tissue adaptation
Muscles don’t work in isolation; they’re linked through fascia and tendons. If one area is over-tensioned, the fascia at the joint edge may remodel itself:
Collagen fibers thicken in response to constant stress (similar to how calluses form on skin).
This can create extra soft tissue bulk at the joint margins.
It’s the body’s way of stabilizing against repeated microstrain.
3. Inflammation and protective swelling
If the muscle imbalance causes irritation where tendons or capsules attach, the body may trigger low-grade inflammation. That can lead to fluid buildup or thickening of synovial tissue at the joint end. Essentially, it’s a cushion to absorb load—but it can also reduce mobility.
4. Why it feels like “extra tissue”
Over time, this adaptive tissue feels like bulk or restriction at the joint ends. It’s not random—it’s your body trying to stabilize against uneven pulling. But it can limit range of motion, cause stiffness, or even pain if left unchecked.
✅ Key takeaway: The body recruits extra soft tissue at joint ends as a protective adaptation to chronic muscle tension or imbalance. It’s like the body’s “reinforcement strategy,” but while it protects the joint in the short term, it can reduce fluid movement and flexibility in the long term.
