Hot Topics


HOT TOPICS

Better ways to wipe out

Pain and Inflammation

Through: Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Massage
and the use of certain therapeutic essential oils

Find out how inflammatory processes create and exacerbate pain and how you can reduce or eliminate these processes to wipe out pain.

When: January 14, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: At Achieve Physical Therapy 4700 Onondaga Blvd
Who: Marty Canavan, PTMHS
Cruse Howe, DC
Lynee Hamm, LMT
Sally Rozniak, M Ed., Young Living Oils Distributor

Seating limited to the first 20 so reserve your spot by calling 475-7121 today!


Current Overview on Stretching

By Donna Albert, DPT

When to stretch and how to stretch, are questions thought to be asked by a novice starting an exercise program. They are also a concern for veteran athlete as well, for our understanding about the benefits of stretching continues to change with new research. In a recent article written by Phil Page, Current concepts in muscle stretching for exercise and rehabilitation, Page summarizes the latest evidence on the various types of stretches and the activities that they would most benefit.

Before beginning any activity, regardless of the skill or intensity required, a five minute warm up should precede a stretching routine to help warm up the body and prepare it for movement. The most common stretching technique, the static stretch and a lesser know method, the pre-contraction stretch are both recommended for activities requiring greater flexibility such as gymnastic or dancing. The static stretch is performed by lengthening a muscle group as far as tolerated and then holding this position for a specific amount of time. For example, to increase the flexibility of the hamstring muscles, one would straighten the leg as far as comfortable and then hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds. This stretch should be repeated 2 to 4 times. For adults older than 65 years, it is recommended that static stretching become part of an ongoing exercise routine, and it is advised to hold this stretch for at least 60 seconds to improve muscle flexibility. The pre-contraction stretch, involves contracting or tightening the muscles to be stretched and then relaxing these muscles to get a further stretch. To stretch the hamstrings in this manner, one would lengthen the leg as far as tolerate and then contract or tighten the hamstrings for ten seconds before relaxing these muscles. The relax hamstring muscles should then be able to stretch a little further. This process should be repeated 2 to 3 more times, starting each stretch at the new lengthen position.

For activities involving agility, power or speed, dynamic stretching is recommended over static or pre-contraction stretches. Presently, dynamic stretching has become a popular way to stretch, used by many sport teams prior to a practice or game. It involves moving the muscles in a manner similar to the activity that will be performed. One way to actively stretch the hamstrings as well as the rest of the muscle in the legs before playing basketball for instance, is to perform 10 to 20 squats in a rhythmic and controlled manner. It is speculated that by actively warming up and contracting the muscles in a similar way to the movements involved in the activity, that this type of stretching may increase the sensitivity of the nerves which activate the muscles. This is thought to produce quicker and stronger muscle contractions resulting in improved strength and better performance. Ballistic stretching is another kind of dynamic stretch that involves rapidly moving a muscle to its end range and then bouncing at this range to get a further stretch. This stretch is no longer recommended for it has been shown to increase the risk of an injury. Regardless of the sport or exercise, all activities should end with a cool down and some static stretching to the larger muscles groups to increase overall flexibility.

For more information on exercise and stretching visit the Patient Information Tab on this website and use the drop down to medical library. Or call us at 475-7121.