Improve Your Health and Wellness by Stretching!

Have you ever noticed how good stretching feels after a nap, when you first wake up in the morning, or after vigorous physical activity?

That good feeling just scratches the surface with the many healthy benefits you can get from regular stretching.

That’s why our physical therapist commonly recommends specific types of stretching exercises to complement other physical therapy modalities.

Why stretching is a big part of PT

Since stretching exercises offer so many important benefits, it’s not hard to see why we use them all the time in physical therapy.

Physical therapy can combine targeted stretches with strength building exercises, massage therapy, ultrasound therapy, heat or cold therapy, and many other techniques to help you feel better and stay healthy.

We can also make sure you are doing the right stretches for your needs and show you how to perform them safely.

Below are five ways you can improve your health, comfort and function by simply stretching!

1. Stress relief

Emotional stress can often turn into physical stress in the form of muscle tension, sleep problems, and suppressed immune function. In other words, it can make you sick!

Stretching exercises can help to release the accumulated tension in your body while also calming your mind.

Stretches that include mindfulness work (such as yoga) can prove especially helpful for easing the stress that might otherwise impair your health.

2. Chronic pain relief

Speaking of pain relief, you may be surprised and delighted to discover how just well stretching can work as a chronic pain management tool.

For instance, certain stretching exercises can undo the painful muscle knots associated with tension headaches or chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia.

Stretching is also recommended to help control arthritis pain and stiffness. Our physical therapist can determine which kinds of stretches will best suit your needs.

3. Increased blood flow

Stretching doesn’t just relax your muscles; it also helps them receive the nourishment they need.

That’s because when your muscles are tight and stiff, blood doesn’t flow through them as easily – and blood contains the oxygen and other nutrients necessary for optimal tissue health and performance.

Stretching to ease that muscle tension gives your circulation a welcome boost. The same effect also helps your tissues rid themselves of unwanted, pain-causing substances such as lactic acid.

4. Injury prevention

Athletic events, physical training, or demanding labor can leave you with a painful strain or sprain, especially if those tissues were “cold” when they were subjected to their burdens.

Gentle, careful stretching before a challenging activity can reduce your risk of acute injury. Stretching immediately after your activity will also remove any muscle tension that may have accumulated during your strenuous activity.

5. Increased flexibility

Are you frustrated because you don’t seem to have the same range of motion that you once did? A variety of musculoskeletal challenges can reduce your flexibility, creating stiffness and making certain motions uncomfortable or even impossible.

Stretching can gently coax the stiffness out of tight tissues. Depending on the cause and location of your stiffness, our physical therapist may prescribe exercises such as hamstring thigh hip, chest, shoulder, upper back, or bicep/tricep stretches to loosen you up and improve your mobility.

So, what else should I know about stretching?

It is also quite common for a physical therapist to prescribe various stretching exercises for individuals suffering from chronic pain conditions. Stretching is of particular importance when you become less mobile due to issues such as osteoarthritis. The less you move your joints, the more likely your muscles and connective tissues will be to lose some of their length.

This change clearly limits your joint motion even further and leaves you in even more pain. Stretching naturally supports PT recommendations such as walking, heat therapy, or massage therapy, in order to increase blood flow to painful joints and widen your pain-free range of motion.

Chronic pain syndromes often involve muscle tightness. Syndromes such as fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome can cause muscle knots that limit muscle movement, resulting in pain to other parts of the body. Regular stretching can help you untie those painful knots.

Get started today!

Are you ready to stretch your way to a happier, healthier lifestyle?

Please contact our PT center today to learn more and schedule an appointment. We don’t stretch the truth when we say we can help!

Source:

• https://www.thehealthy.com/mental-health/stress/stretching-exercises-for-stress-relief/
• https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/exercise/how-to/stretching-benefits.php
• https://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/ss/slideshow-fibromyalgia-friendly-exercises
• https://www.verywellfit.com/does-stretching-matter-3119195
• https://www.painscience.com/articles/stiffness-and-rom.php
• https://guidetoptpractice.apta.org/content/1/SEC40.extract
• https://www.coachup.com/nation/articles/the-10-best-stretches-for-total-body-flexibility
• https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-stretching#benefits
• https://eastsidesportsrehab.com/5-ways-stretching-can-improve-your-overall-health-2/

Do your joints and muscles frequently feel stiff and achy, especially after a long day at work or a tough workout? Are you exercising regularly but not seeing the improvements you want? If you’re not regularly stretching, this could explain why!

Our physical therapy team would be happy to help you develop an effective stretching and mobility routine to enhance athletic performance, improve your physical health, and prevent injury. Call Rehab Advantage & Sports Medicine to schedule an appointment!

5 Evidence-Backed Benefits of Stretching

Research shows that stretching improves your health in several ways.1 Here are 5 reasons to start adding mobility work into your weekly gym routine:

1. Reduces muscle tension. Chronically tense and tight muscles have restricted blood flow and may not activate as effectively. Stretching (especially with tools such as foam rollers) alleviates this tension and help muscles contract more efficiently—then relax more fully.
2. Increases the range of motion in your joints. Joints that move better, work better! Stretching helps your joints move fluidly and throughout their full range of motion. This improves movement efficiency and function, which means better performance.
3. May reduce your risk of injury and low back pain. Stretching prepares your body for exertion, improves posture, helps correct muscle-length imbalances, and maximizes flexibility in the hips, shoulders, and ankles—all of which are essential for improved injury prevention and spinal health.
4. Improves circulation. In addition to improving muscle mechanics, enhanced circulation can accelerate your recovery, reduce post-workout soreness, and increase your energy levels.
5. Helps ease stress. There’s a strong link between physical tension and mental tension.2 By alleviating physical tension with a consistent stretching routine, you can ease psychological stress, too. Plus, evidence shows that stretching before a workout improves your “psychological readiness” and helps you get your head in the game.3

3 Tips to Improve Your Stretching

Not all stretching was created equal. Here are three tips from our physical therapist staff to ensure you’re stretching the right way:

1. Never stretch “cold.” While stretching may reduce the risk of injury, it may actually cause tissue damage if done without a proper warm-up. Warming up ensures your tissues are literally warm enough and pliable enough to withstand the demands of stretching. Before any stretching session, try a simple 5-minute routine such as light jogging or cycling that gets your heart rate slightly elevated, your limbs moving, and your blood flowing.
2. Practice dynamic and static stretches. It’s not clear that static stretching pre-workout causes injury—assuming, that is, you’ve adequately warmed up your body as previously discussed.4 In fact, studies suggest that a combination of static stretching and dynamic sports-specific movements before a workout can improve performance and optimize range of motion.3,4 Your best bet is to do both static and dynamic stretches—static isometric holds increase range, while dynamic moves prime your muscles and central nervous system for activity.
3. Make sure to hold your stretches long enough to elicit true changes in the tissues! A quick 30-second quad stretch isn’t going to do anything meaningful. Just like stretching a rubber band and then letting it go right away, your connective tissues will just go back to their normal position after a short stretch. This is due to a phenomenon called “creep.” How long is long enough? Static stretches should be held for at least 90 seconds to 2 minutes in order to elicit true changes in muscle and tissue length. So get that timer out!

One final tip: understand your body and your particular needs. Not everybody has the same areas of mobility limitations, postural imbalances, adhesions, scar tissue build-up, and so on. In fact, some people have too much mobility in certain joints and should focus on stability and strengthening rather than stretching in these areas.

Do you need help establishing an individualized and effective stretching and mobility routine? Call Rehab Advantage to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist today.

Sources:

1. American Council on Exercise. (2014, October 7). Top 10 Benefits of Stretching. Retrieved July 9, 2019, from
2. Shaw, W., Labbot-Smith, S., & Burg, M. M. (n.d.). Stress Effects on the Body. Retrieved July 9, 2019, from
3. Park, H., Jung, M., Park, E., Lee, C., Jee, Y., Eun, D., . . . Yoo, J. (2018, February 26). The effect of warm-ups with stretching on the isokinetic moments of collegiate men. Retrieved July 9, 2019, from
4. Samson, M., Button, D. C., Chaouachi, A., & Behm, D. G. (2012, June 01). Effects of dynamic and static stretching within general and activity specific warm-up protocols. Retrieved July 9, 2019, from

Some people think that stretching is an unnecessary part of exercising. The truth is that stretching is a necessary component of exercise. According to physical therapists, stretching is an important part of one’s daily routine, whether you’re exercising or not.

The 5 Benefits of Stretching

1. Stretching specific exercises prior to exercising helps the muscles to achieve maximum range of motion. It also helps strengthen the muscles. That is why during physical therapy stretching is a main focus.
2. Stretching helps reduce muscle tension. It’s a therapeutic treatment by a physical therapist. You’ll feel the rewards of stretching during your daily routine, walking or lifting.
3. Stretching enhances joint range of motion. It enables the body part to move easier. For more dynamic movement, stretching increases muscular coordination. Some physical therapy sessions focus on a muscle group instead of just one muscle for stretching.
4. Another benefit of stretching is increased blood circulation. Muscles require sufficient oxygen and nutrients in order to perform well. Stretching ramps up blood flow and transports oxygen and nutrients.
5. Lastly, a benefit of stretching is heightened energy levels. The increased circulation increases energy levels. Learning to stretch properly will lead you to a more active lifestyle. “According to results of a new systematic review, moderate-grade evidence seems to support strengthening and stretching exercises to help ease chronic neck pain.”

Types of Stretching Exercises in Physical Therapy

Stretching involves stretching connective tissue, a muscle or a tendon. The goal of stretching is to improve range of motion, flexibility and muscle elasticity. The five most common stretching exercises are:

• Ballistic
• Dynamic
• Static
• Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
• Low Load

Ballistic stretch physical therapy is a rapid bouncing motion to stretch a muscle. Dynamic stretching by a physical therapist entails stretching with motion at different speeds and distances. These movements are performed in a controlled and slow manner. Examples include torso swings, arms swings and leg swings. Static stretch physical therapy involved stretching the muscle and holding it for a few seconds. PNF entails holding and controlling techniques to activate specific receptors in muscles. This technique improves muscle length and decreases muscle tension. The low load stretching technique is gradual application of tension to enhance connective tissue remodeling.

A physical therapist will determine the best stretching exercises for your affected area and implement them into your treatment plan. They will also give you home exercises. These stretching exercises may include groin stretches, quadriceps stretches, knee stretches, calf stretches and more. They will also show you how do easy stretches with a towel at home. Knee stretches are very common in all age groups. That’s because knee injuries are common due to overuse or athletic injuries. Activities like running and biking can result in tight quadriceps muscles. Keep in mind that tight muscles can predispose you to injury. If so, quadriceps stretches will be implemented into a treatment plan.

Whether you see a physical therapist or not, stretching should be a part of your daily routine. You’ll feel better, perform better and avoid injury.

If you want physical therapy, contact us at Rehab Advantage & Sports Medicine!

Source:

• https://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/News/2015/2/10/CochraneNeckPain/