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Letter: Adhesion acts like glue in the body, limiting flexibility and strength

In a notoriously active valley, overuse musculoskeletal injuries are very common. Unfortunately, the most common cause of these injuries goes undiagnosed and therefore ineffectively treated. When you ask a lot from your body, it develops adhesion, better known as “scar tissue.”

Adhesion acts like glue in the body, limiting flexibility and strength. The primary job of the musculoskeletal system is movement (flexibility). A healthy body part can easily move through a full, pain-free range of motion. Almost all muscle, nerve and joint injuries are caused by body parts that can’t move properly.

Limited flexibility leads to pain and degeneration of the joints. The most common cause of limited flexibility is adhesion buildup in the soft tissues. Adhesion develops from excessive use, such as exercise, prolonged sitting/standing and repetitive movements. In essence, it’s a byproduct of our lifestyles.



If you have pain, weakness or limited flexibility, you likely have adhesion. If you’re seeing a doctor or therapist for a musculoskeletal injury, it’s imperative that they test and measure your flexibility. Once a limitation is established, it needs to be measured and sustainably improved, every visit, until it’s healthy. The only way to do this is by finding and fixing adhesion.

Conservative health care doesn’t have to be confusing. First and most importantly, make sure your body part can move, as this is the primary job of the musculoskeletal system.

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Dr. Adam Holen, D.C.

Glenwood Springs


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