The American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine describes ligaments as cable-like structures, which hold our bones together and allow us to walk without falling apart. Ligaments are flexible, but they do not stretch very far. Injuries, such as when you sprain a ligament, twist a knee, take a bad fall, suffer whiplash, or lift an object which is too heavy, can tear or fray these structures.

When a ligament is sprained or injured, some strands or threads that make up the cable become over-stretched and broken which allow the joint to move beyond its normal range of motion. This abnormal motion can produce painful sensations and numbness and tingling. In the spine, too much slippage can cause the backbones to press on the spinal nerves and cause sciatica. The body responds to this motion by making muscles contract in an effort to pull the joint back to the correct location. Prolonged muscle contraction then leads to muscle spasms. The tendency is to treat the muscle spasm  and overlook the primary reason – ligament laxity.