Stretching Exercises by Bellevue Chiropractor, Dr. Hall

Disclaimer: No individuals, including those under our active care, should use the information, resources or tools contained in this article to self-diagnose or self-treat any health-related condition. Diagnosis and treatment of all health conditions should only be performed by your doctor of Chiropractic or other licensed health care professional.

Dr. Chris Hall, Bellevue chiropractor, is also a certified McKenzie Mechanical Therapist (Cert. MDT). He is also a certified Active Release Technique (ART) certified provider. He has found that by integrating passive therapies for immediate pain relief (massage, manipulation) and active therapies for long term patient independence (McKenzie exercises), treatment regimens are greatly reduced and the patient learns the necessary skills to self manage their condition. For treatment of spine and extremity conditions in Bellevue chiropractic treatment with Chris Hall, DC, Cert. MDT, ART is the quickest path to a healthy body!

Along with cardiovascular exercise (which raises your heart rate) and resistance/strength training (lifting weights), stretching is an essential component of a complete fitness regime, yet it is often the most neglected. People perceive it is too easy and, as a result, unnecessary. Many do not realize all the benefits that come from a regular stretching routine.

In fact, regular, controlled stretching improves and maintains flexibility and mobility, corrects bad posture, reduces the risk of injury, relieves pain, and even helps counteract the effects of aging. In addition, it relaxes the body, helps reduce stress levels and can help to boost self esteem. Everyone, regardless of age or fitness level, can benefit from stretching. By making it an integral part of your lifestyle, you will reap its many benefits. A stretch may target a muscle, or a group of muscles, but its benefits will be felt throughout the body, and even on a mental level.

Good flexibility is known to bring positive benefits in the muscles and joints. It provides ease in body movements and everyday activities. When you’re stretching it is best to target the major muscle groups of the body which include calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders. Also stretch muscles and joints that you routinely use at work or play.

It is best to warm up the muscles before you stretch them. A good warm-up accomplishes two things, it improves muscle extensibility and loosens connective tissues, and it gets the neuromuscular circuits firing. Warm up by walking while gently pulling your arms, or do a favorite exercise at low intensity for five minutes.

Better yet, stretch after you exercise – when your muscles are warm and more receptive to stretching. Heat makes connective tissues (joint capsules, ligaments, & fascia) more pliable. As fascial pockets around muscles become warm, muscles can extend farther, allowing for an increased range of motion. Try to hold stretches for at least 30 seconds or longer if you can. There are different views about how long is necessary to hold a stretch to get the maximum benefit. Stretching has both neurological and mechanical effects on muscles and connective tissues. A stretch needs to be held long enough for the muscles to relax so they can be passively lengthened. As you hold a stretch, consciously relax the tight muscle and feel the myofascial tissue around it elongate. After the muscle finally relaxes, the connective tissues can begin to stretch. It takes time to lengthen tissues gently and safely. That can seem like a long time, so keep an eye on the clock or your watch. Remember to relax and breathe freely. Take several slow deep breaths while holding the stretch, and then repeat the stretch on the other side. A great tool for self-stretching is a Stretch Strap which delivers all the benefits of assisted stretching without a partner. Focus on a pain-free stretch. Expect to feel tension while you’re stretching. If it hurts, you’ve gone too far. Back off to the point where you don’t feel any pain, then hold the stretch.

Flexibility can also be limited by a mechanical obstruction in the joints. Often, this can be easily remedied with chiropractic treatment. These obstructions to movement can occur in the the joints of the spine or extremities as well as within the intervertebral discs. Untreated scar tissue in and around the joints can limit the functional range of those joints. If the joints of the body are not capable of their full range, the muscles that move those joints will not achieve their full length during your stretching sessions. These unused muscles can become shortened and weak over time. “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” Chiropractic manipulation or “adjustments” are targeted to improve the flexibility of those joints and muscles that are stiff.

Also, joint and disc pain can become a limitation to body movement. The nervous system’s natural response to pain is muscular guarding (increased muscle tone or stiffness) Chiropractic care has proven effective for increasing joint flexibility while it is also as a powerful, drugless way to modulate pain and decrease muscle tone. Solving joint stiffness and pain through Chiropractic rehabilitation will allow for a more complete stretch of the targeted muscles and what follows is a more complete and well rounded exercise regimen.