What Are Ligaments? And Why Do They Matter?

Most of us think of ligaments as little structures that get sprained. Swelling happens, pain, and we use ice, compression, and elevation to ease our discomfort. How many of us ever ask what the heck a ligament is?  What is its function? Why do they matter?

Ligaments are connective tissue, just like fascia and muscle. They are essentially little white pieces of gum that connect bones together. They stabilize joints, and have proprioceptive sense. They can tell where the joint is “in space”. This is why we do balancing exercises when ligaments get injured.

Overall, ligaments sense joint position, movement, pressure, and pain. They are not just tiny rubbery stickies!

If they are thickened, or have scar tissue they will refer pain to other parts of the body. They can also become misaligned or dysfunctional due to postural stress. A classic example of this is the Sacrotuberous ligament. This structure is located near the hamstring muscle on the pelvis, and will thicken up if a person has been sitting for years on end.

Pain can be felt in the low back. A manual therapist can work on it and…voila! The hamstrings release. This is because of the “communication” that goes on between the Sacrotuberous ligament and the muscle.

Manual therapy can help ligaments function better. This affects the health of joints, and improves functional movement patterns.

*Information from Massage and Manual Therapy For Orthopedic Conditions, Thomas Hendrickson, co. 2009, Lippincott and Williams.