When joint action dries up, pain is very close.
The root cause of cumulative joint problems is the lack of variety in the way we use our bodies. When we remain locked in by our stereotyped pattern, our joints become trapped by our physical habits. Joint action loses opportunity, loses variety, loses lubrication, loses elastic stretch and clothing of muscle tissue.
There is another set of factors: repetition and overuse.
We either do too little or too much: the occasional bout of activity in desert of non-activity – suddenly leaping up from the sofa to do a intense shoveling in the garden. The skeleton struggles to accommodate the quantum leap from non-activity to repetitive aggressive over-activity.
Balanced, properly coordinated muscular control is the very essence of healthy movement and healthy joints. Every muscle performing a set movement has a partner to perform the reverse movement. For easy action, both need to be well-matched in length and strength.