Importance of stretching! :)

 

In my practice I often incorporate stretching into my clients sessions. It is one of the most helpful modalities I can add to sessions. During a session the other day I stretched out my client’s entire body before I even started to do deep tissue work.  It was very helpful at being able to get into the areas that were causing my client pain and it helped the relief last longer.  My client felt wonderful at the end of their session and you could see how much easier it was as they walked out. 

Tightness in one area can often times lead to tightness or restricted movement in another area. Neck tightness can lead to headaches, decreased ROM when trying to turn your head, shoulder pain, as well as jaw pain.  Pain in your gluteal muscles can lead to hip pain, low back pain, and pain in other areas of your body. By stretching out each area, you can make a great improvement in daily pain and restrictions.

 

Stretching is something we all should be doing on a regular basis. It helps keep our bodies limber and moving easier.  Stretching helps improve range of motion in joints, which could help prevent injury. Think of how much easier it could be to move through our days if we all could take five to ten minutes each day to stretch. When we relax our muscles our minds can also relax more and reduce our stress. If you're looking for examples of stretching a great book is Bob Anderson's book titled Stretching. This book even has helpful pictures of how the stretch looks when someone is doing them. The book covers every area of your body.

If you have a chronic or acute injury you should definitely check with your doctor or health professional about what stretches are best and safe for you to do on your own.

Is there anything else that you would do if you could move with more ease and less restrictions?