welcome to therapeutic stretching

THERAPEUTICSTRETCHING

WELCOME TO

Workshops should not just be about teaching techniques. They should be about practicing them too.

A single workshop will not make you better unless it causes you to practice key skills multiple times or learn to practice and be able to begin a year-long cycle of practice.

Before we begin…

Disclaimer time!!!!

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW, TO WHAT EXTENT.

What’s in store for workshop…

Define key terms Discuss What is Stretching? Discuss some of the many stretching

disciplines. Discuss Goals, benefits,

contraindications of Stretching. BODYWORK, BODYWORK, AND

BODYWORK

QUICK QUESTION.

WHAT ARE THE 4 MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF SKELETAL MUSCLES?

1. EXCITABILITY2. CONTRACTILITY3. EXTENSIBILITY4. ELASTICITY

Muscles that are repeatedly tightened will lose their elasticity and stiffen over time thus creating a chain reaction leading to muscular dysfunction.

Tightened muscles Ischemia Hypoxia Metabolic waste buildup Loss of elasticity and pliability Restricted ROM

and so forth and so forth

STRETCHING…

Defined as a method or discipline of bodywork

which lengthens and/or elongates the body’s soft tissue.

EVERYTHING DONE TO THE BODY’S SOFT TISSUE INCLUDING

PALPATION STRETCHES IT

Terms…

FLEXIBILTY

ROM

PROPRIOCEPTORS

STRETCH REFLEX

END FEEL

MECHANORECEPTORS

INHIBITED

HYPERTONICITY

STRAIN/SPRAIN

RECIPROCAL INHIBITION

DYSFUNCTIONS OF SOFT TISSUE

ARCH ENEMIES!!

SCAR TISSUE INFLAMMATION

BENEFITS OF STRETCHING…

ELONGATION OF SOFT TISSUE(S)STIMULATION OF CIRCULATION AND LYMPH FLOWAIDS IN MUSCULAR BALANCE AROUND A JOINTAIDS IN ALLOWING BODY TO REPAIR ITSELFRESETS MUSCLE SPINDLESREALIGNS SCAR TISSUERELEASES RESTRICTED FASCIA

STRETCHING TECHNIQUES…

THERE ARE MANY BUT THEY ALL SHARE THE SAME IDEA OR CONCEPT AND THAT IS THE

ELONGATION OF THE MUCSLES AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE.

TYPES OF STRETCHINGSTATIC

PASSIVE

MFR

MET

ART

DYNAMIC

PNF

STR

AIS

EGOSCUE

MF UNWINDING

FOAM ROLLING

PASSIVE STRETCHING…

PERFORMED MAINLY DURING A MASSAGE SESSION…

ACTIVATES GTO- (Muscle Relaxation)RELEASES PRESSURE AROUND JOINTRESTORES ELASTICITY OF SOFT TISSUESTIMULATION OF CIRCULATION (30%)

PURPOSE OF STRETCHING

To increase the resting length of a muscle.

It is the secret to muscular tone, regeneration, recovery, and performance.

One purpose of stretching is the gaining and maintaining of ROM.

Aids in muscle maintenance of healthy muscles.

Including stretching at the end of a session elongates muscles fibers aiding in the reduction of SPASMS, TP’S, AND HYEPERTONAL MUSCLES

Increase of circulation and lymphatic flow

ONE REASON STRETCHING IS IMPORTANT…

As we age…our lymph, fascia, and connective tissue thickens.

Our body exchanges flexibility for stability.

*TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL FLEXIBILITY MUSCLES MUST BE DREDGED OF ALL METABOLIC WASTE. FRESH BLOOD MUST ENTER AFTER THIS AND ONLY THEN WILL THE MUSCLES FIBERS ELONGATE.

DYSFUNCTIONAL MUSCLES…

WHEN OVERWORKED MUSCLES ARE KEPT IN A CONSTANT STATE OF CONTRACTION, THEY SHORTEN: LACTIC ACID BUILDS, ISCHEMIA, INFLAMMATION . WHICH LEADS TO…

WEAKENED MUSCLES SLOWER MUSCULAR PERFORMANCE DECREASED ROM INCREASE IN INJURIES

DYSFUNCTIONAL MUSCLES…

IF MUSCLES ARE NOT IN SYNCH AND ALIGNED PROPERLY YOU WILL GET…

TORQUES, SHEERSTILTS, FLAIRS, AND…

ROTATIONS

MYOTATIC STRETCH REFLEX

PART OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, THIS STRETCH REFLEX PREVENTS A MUSCLE FROM STRETCHING TOO FAR TOO FAST AND PROTECTS THE JOINT FROM INJURY.

PROPRIOCEPTORS: GOLGI TENDON ORGANS, SPINDLE

CELLS. MECHANORECEPTORS: PANCINI CORPUSCLES, RUFFINI CORPUSCLES, MERKEL’S DISCS, AND MEISSNER’S CORPUSCLES

STRETCHING AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

THE KEY GOAL OF STRETCHING IS TO ACTIVATE THE GTO WITHOUT FIRING OFF THE SPINDLE CELLS!!

WHEN NOT TO STRETCH…

AFTER A FRACTURE DURING HIGH FEVER

WHEN JOINT IS INFLAMED WHEN OPEN SORES OR STITCHES

ON THE SKIN COVER THE MUSCLE.

PRINCIPLES OF STRETCHING…

AVOID PAINSTRETCH SLOWLY

STRETCH CORRECT MUSCLEWORK WITHIN COMFORT LEVEL