Shiatsu Blog: Why Joint Injuries Are More Common in Spring—and How to Avoid Them
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
Did you know that spring is one of the most common times of year for joint injuries?
As the weather warms up, sprains, strains, dislocations, hyperextension injuries, and tendon tears become far more frequent. They’re not just painful—they can be incredibly disruptive and often take longer to heal than you might expect.
Interestingly, bones often heal faster than soft tissue injuries. That’s because bones have a direct blood supply, whereas ligaments and tendons don’t, making recovery from sprains and strains much slower.
So how do you tell the difference between a ligament and tendon injury—and more importantly, how can you prevent them?
In this month’s Shiatsu blog, I’ll walk you through:
Why joint injuries spike in spring
The difference between sprains (ligaments) and strains (tendons)
How Chinese Medicine explains it all
Simple ways to protect your joints and stay active
Why Are Joint Injuries More Common in Spring?
When I first studied Chinese Medicine, it completely changed how I understood seasonal injuries.Yes, we’re more active in spring—that’s obvious. But there’s more to it.
After months of winter:
Your body has been less active
Muscles may be tight, cold, and contracted
Circulation can be sluggish
Then suddenly—longer days arrive, and we “spring” into action.
We start gardening, decorating, exercising, walking more… often without warming up.
And that’s where the problem begins.
The Chinese Medicine Perspective: The Wood Element
In Chinese Medicine, spring is governed by the Wood element—think trees.
Trees aren’t just strong—they’re flexible. If they become brittle, they snap in the wind. Your body works the same way.
The Wood element is linked to:
Ligaments and tendons
Flexibility and movement
Liver function and blood flow
If this system is out of balance, your body becomes more prone to:
Tight muscles
Poor flexibility
Increased risk of sprains and strains
I've learnt the hard way! Both my ankle injuries happened in the Spring with the second one not being so lucky as I snapped ligaments too. I'm acutely aware of what's going on now with my limbs as I don't fancy any repeats.
Sprains vs Strains: What’s the Difference?
Understanding this can make a huge difference to how you recover.
Sprain = ligament injury (ligaments connect bone to bone)
Strain = tendon or muscle injury (tendons connect muscle to bone)
Why it matters:
Ligaments provide joint stability
Tendons handle movement and force
Both are made of collagen and lack direct blood supply, which is why they heal slowly.
The Real Cause: Tight Muscles
Most joint injuries don’t start in the joint—they start in the muscles.
If your muscles are:
Tight
Overworked
Imbalanced
…they place excessive strain on tendons and ligaments.
A simple example: Tight calf muscles → increased load on the Achilles tendon → higher risk of tears.
If Liver Blood (a Chinese medicine term) isn’t flowing well it affects how well your muscles work whether they stretch and relax easily or if they are tight and cramped. It also affects how easily you get out of bed in the morning. If you bounce out of bed – great! If you wake up stiff and take time to loosen up, your body is already showing signs that it needs support.
The Hidden Role of Your Liver (and Why It Matters)
In Chinese Medicine, the liver plays a key role in:
Smooth blood flow
Nourishing muscles and tendons
Detoxification
After winter—when diets are often heavier and higher in sugar or alcohol—the liver can become sluggish.
This can contribute to:
Stiff joints
Poor recovery
Increased inflammation
Your liver is a fantastic filter but it does benefit from a yearly clean. If your liver isn’t filtering out toxins then these circulate in your blood causing their own issues. Just think corrosion of cartilage in joints leading to osteoarthritis. Keeping your blood as clean as possible and your liver working well will aid long term joint health care on many levels as well as your overall health.
Menopause, Stress, and Joint Pain
If you’re in perimenopause or menopause, this becomes even more important.
Hormonal changes affect:
Collagen production (essential for ligaments and tendons)
Stress levels (which deplete nutrients)
Recovery capacity
This is why joint pain in menopause is so common—and why injuries can happen more easily, even during everyday activities. If you'd lije to read about this further I have an indepth blog on my holistic menopause website: Aching joints in menopause
Most common joint injuries and conditions
Tight muscles put a strain on the tendons (there is one at each end of the muscles inserting it in to a bone - image above). If muscles are not as soft and supple it puts a strain on the fibrous inflexible tendon tissue. This can lead to strains and tears of tendons; think tight calves putting excess pressure on your Achilles tendons. To protect these tendons, you should have soft (non-painful calves when at rest)
Ligaments link bones; The Rotator cuff in your shoulder is a complex example of ligament linkage. Overstretching this joint can weaken it; I’ve done this before now by reaching onto the back seat of the car from the driver’s seat and overextending to grab something; easily done. If you can’t raise your arm above your head then you have an issue; you can aim toregain full mobility with help from a therapy like shiatsu to help your overall shoulder health.
Tennis elbow is tendon strain with overuse or repetitive use of the muscles. Unstable or over-flexibility (known as hyperextension) in joints is ligament issues; for some this is hereditary but you can take steps to support.
Carpal tunnel is a tight ligament which narrows the channel exerting pressure on the nerves to your hand. These are regular every day terms for common joint injuries but do you now what’s involved and how to resolve them? Once you know if something is a ligament or tendon issue it helps you take steps towards healing it.
How to prevent joint injuries naturally
Ligaments and tendons are a cartilage composed of collagen and don’t have a direct blood supply as muscles and bones do; this is a key fact to understanding how to heal. Without this blood they don't receive nutrition and if you lack nutrition your body will choose surviving over thriving and so no healing.
If you’re stressed/not sleeping or fatigued/ anxious you're already nutrient depleted.
Here’s where you can take control:
1. Keep Your Muscles Supple
Flexible muscles protect your joints.
Gentle stretching
Regular movement
Warming up before activity
2. Support Collagen and Nutrition
Ligaments and tendons rely on:
Collagen
Minerals (especially magnesium)
Vitamin C (for collagen production)
Without enough nutrients, your body prioritises survival—not joint health. Your current nutrition level will support bones and muscles but with none left over to reach sinews. You can take all 3 of these as supplements plus a good multivitamin. I have my Guide to Supplements here.
Tendons and ligaments are made of collagen a fibrous tissue in the body that creates elasticity and holds lubrication. This is invaluable for joints – the cartilage and ligaments; and for muscles and their adjoining tendons. The 3rd thing to add to this equation is Qi (the Chinese term for your energy); this is where Shiatsu comes in. Your body is a map of meridians which pass through the joints. Think of them as channels with water/fluids/nutrients flowing through. When joints become tight the flow stops and trouble starts. Therapy like Shiatsu and exercise like Qi Gong help keep these channels flowing and your joints strong. Symptoms of tight joints include clicks, creaks, heat or cold.
If you do a lot of activity or sports and you find you’re not recovering well or your joints/muscles ache then you do need more nutrition – Grab my Quick Start Supplements Guide here
3. Stay Warm
Cold is a major contributor to stiffness. This is known about in western medicine if your joints feel better for adding warmth they have a cold condition and western meds (which aim to reduce heat/swelling including painkillers) have little or no affect.
Cold joints:
Move less efficiently
Tighten surrounding muscles
Become more injury-prone
You can warm by rubbing or supporting your circulation with herbal remedies like Tiger balm. Also think abour your clothing if out in the cold. Gentle warming up exercises and a daily short Qi Gong routine to aid energetic flow. Shiatsu can expel 'trapped cold' if a joint condition is persistent.
4. Move Regularly (But Gently)
Movement improves:
Circulation
Muscle elasticity
Joint lubrication
Even light, consistent movement can dramatically reduce injury risk.
5. Manage Stress and Emotions
Here’s something people don’t often talk about:
You’re more likely to injure your joints/tendons/ligaments when you’re stressed or angry.
Why?
Muscles tighten
Movements become rushed
Awareness drops
Relaxed bodies are far more resilient.
With the Wood element (in TCM) your liver governs your blood flow… an angered person has tight joints. When in a temper you rush things and take shortcuts – leading to more opportunities for accidents to happen. So, anger is affecting you on 2 fronts – how you’re thinking and how your body is physically reacting and neither of these are good for your sinews and mobility.
First Aid for Joint Injuries: Heat or Ice?
You’ve probably heard of RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).
But here’s a more nuanced approach:
Use ice when:
There’s visible swelling
The area is hot and inflamed
Use warmth when:
Pain is stiff, dull, or tight
There’s no visible swelling
Muscles feel locked or restricted
When in doubt, try gentle warmth first—then switch if needed. Don't listen to what others say you should do; your body will tell you in its reaction.
When you hear of sports celebrities jumping in ice baths - this is right for them.
Magnesium goes a long way to releasing tightness/ dull aches - you can apply a cream directly to the bulk of the muscle(s) nearest the pain. In releasing muscle tension it'll take pressure of the joint or tendon providing almost instant relief.
A Simple Way to Think About Prevention
If you take one thing away, let it be this:
Strong joints come from soft, flexible muscles and well-nourished tissues.
Support your body with:
Movement
Warmth
Nutrition
Rest
Regular bodywork
Spring is a time of growth, energy, and movement—but it’s also when your body is most vulnerable to joint injuries.
By understanding what’s happening beneath the surface—and making a few simple changes—you can stay active, flexible, and pain-free all year round.
And if your body is already giving you warning signs, don’t ignore them.
Your joints are speaking—Shiatsu helps you listen.
How Shiatsu Supports Joint Health and Recovery
Shiatsu works on multiple levels:
Improves circulation
Releases muscle tension
Supports energy flow (Qi)
Aids recovery after injury
I
t’s particularly effective in the chronic phase—after swelling has gone down but stiffness or weakness remains.
Regular Shiatsu can:
Improve flexibility
Reduce pain
Strengthen joints
Prevent future injuries
If you've had pain for a while you'll be in a chronic phase; this is when you need support and rehabilitation. If you ‘hold’ an injured joint for too long so as not to hurt it further you’re more than likely messing up all the surrounding muscles and causing more issues – this is the point (or preferably sooner) that you reach out for a therapy like shiatsu. It's effective for these types of issues because with the Chinese medicine viewpoint it understands the underlying issues which aren't addressed in western terms.
Receiving Shiatsu regularly helps you to optimise your health by prevention. As well as receiving a wonderfully relaxing therapy you’ll receive advice on how to support any weaknesses picked up during your sessions. This helps you avoid illnesses and injuries. I also recommend supplements/exercises/lifestyle advice upon request.
Shiatsu is truly holistic it’s working on your body your mind and your emotions. In relieving the tension from your body this triggers a mental release - you become calmer and more relaxed. Shiatsu works to quieten a reactive nervous system; in turn reducing your propensity for holding onto tension.
Calming you down and releasing the tension from muscles aids good blood flow through the joints and goes a long way to reducing your pain and increasing your mobility and flexibility; both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis are greatly improved with regular shiatsu.
Shiatsu - Gentle bodywork to help your body work better
Find out more about shiatsu and treatment options here.
About Andrea at Shiatsu Bodyworks Cheltenham
Andrea is a qualified zen shiatsu and Chinese medicine practitioner with over 20 years immersed in holistic therapies and the energetics of mind and body. Based in Cheltenham, UK she offers in house clinic and online shiatsu sessions to help people with midlife health issues and also offers online consultations for helping you resolve health issues and regain your vitality. She is a menopause specialist too, find out more at cotswoldmenopause.co.uk
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