The Movement Patterns That Lead to Injury

Most injuries do not come from a single dramatic moment. They build quietly, through everyday movements repeated with small errors that add up over time. People often blame age, bad luck or being “unfit”, but in many cases the real cause is how the body is moving day after day.

Understanding common injury-prone movement patterns can help explain why pain shows up seemingly out of nowhere. More importantly, it shows how many injuries are preventable once those patterns are recognised and addressed.

Repetition without awareness is a common trigger

The body is remarkably adaptable, but repetition without variation or control can overload certain tissues. This happens in sport, at work and even during everyday tasks.

People who visit a physio Burwood East clinic often discover that their pain isn’t caused by one bad movement, but by thousands of slightly inefficient ones. Over time, joints and muscles that were meant to share the load stop doing their part.

Poor lifting patterns strain the lower back

Lifting is one of the most common sources of injury, not because lifting is inherently dangerous, but because it is often done with poor mechanics.

Risky lifting patterns include:

• Bending through the lower back instead of the hips
  
• Twisting while carrying weight
  
• Lifting quickly without stabilising first

Sitting posture influences how the body moves later

Sitting itself isn’t the problem. Staying in the same position for long periods is. Prolonged sitting encourages certain muscles to shorten while others switch off.

Common consequences include:

• Tight hip flexors
  
• Reduced glute activation
  
• Increased load on the lower back

Walking and running asymmetries add up

Many people assume walking and running are natural and therefore safe. While they are natural, they are not immune to inefficiency.

Subtle issues such as:

• Overstriding
• Uneven weight transfer
• Poor foot control

Shoulder overuse comes from limited movement variety

Shoulder injuries are common in people who work overhead, exercise frequently or spend long hours at a desk. The issue is rarely strength alone.

Problematic patterns often involve:

• Reaching with poor shoulder blade control
  
• Excessive tension through the neck
  
• Limited movement through the upper back

Core disengagement affects the whole body

The core is not just about abdominal muscles. It’s about coordinated support around the spine and pelvis. When this system is not working well, movement becomes less efficient.

Signs of poor core engagement include:

• Holding breath during effort
  
• Excessive arching or rounding of the back
  
• Difficulty controlling slow movements
  

Without proper support, other muscles step in to stabilise, often leading to overuse injuries.

Fatigue changes how people move

Movement patterns often look fine at the start of the day or session. As fatigue sets in, technique tends to deteriorate.

This can lead to:

• Reduced control
  
• Slower reaction times
  
• Increased reliance on passive structures like ligaments

Compensation hides the real problem

The body is excellent at compensating. If one area is weak or restricted, another will take over. This keeps people moving, but it also hides the underlying issue.

Over time:

• The compensating area becomes overloaded
  
• Pain appears somewhere unexpected
  
• The original problem remains unaddressed

Why these patterns go unnoticed

Most injury causing movement patterns feel normal to the person doing them. They develop slowly and become habitual.

People adapt by:

• Avoiding certain movements
  
• Modifying activities unconsciously
  
• Accepting discomfort as “part of life”

Small corrections make a big difference

The good news is that many injury prone patterns can be improved with relatively small changes. Awareness is often the first step.

Helpful strategies include:

• Breaking up long periods of sitting
  
• Learning to hinge properly when lifting
  
• Improving movement variety throughout the day

Movement quality matters more than intensity

Injury prevention is not about avoiding movement. It is about moving well. Whether someone is exercising, working or going about daily tasks, how they move matters more than how hard they move. When movement patterns are efficient, the body shares load evenly and recovers more easily. When patterns are poor, even simple activities can become a source of injury.