When stretching muscles, we can utilize a number of techniques to pull on the muscle fibers in unique and thoughtful ways. Most individuals are familiar with end range static holds and some athletes may be familiar with contract/relax stretches; both of these introductory techniques offer safe and effective stretching broadly across the muscle typically with more stretch being applied to tendinous attachment areas.
With this blog post I want to introduce everyone to pressure modified stretching techniques which have a number of different styles and alterations depending on desired outcome, individual capabilities, and muscle location. The most basic of these techniques is the simple pin and stretch move where we try to “pin” a muscle in a shortened position while actively or passively moving the muscle into a lengthened position with the pressure being maintained. This allowed us to target specific tight locations on the muscle in the clinical setting while also providing a relatively straightforward way to have the patient work these tighter locations on their own. Most patients report greater changes to flexibility and stiffness after including this technique in their stretching and warm-up routine while also reporting greater session to session changes.
Check out a few of our videos demonstrating this technique in various ways.
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