Stretching for Life

Drs. Matthew and Michelle Mix

Why Stretch?

Hold your adjustment better

Increase mobility Improve circulation

Decrease risk of injury Reduce fatigue Decreases tense

muscles

Tense Muscles Lead to decreased sensory

awareness Raise the blood pressure Constantly tense muscles

lessen their own blood circulation Blood is the liquid conduit of

oxygen and food nutrients to the muscles and the remover of toxic waste. Therefore, when the blood supply is reduced, muscles suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrients and a build-up of toxic waste; resulting in fatigue, ache and sometimes pain.

Guidelines for Stretching

No partner necessary. One major muscle group at a time. After stretching one muscle, you should stretch the

offsetting muscle. Stretch the front muscles of your thighs before

stretching your hamstrings. Stretches cannot be timed.

The relaxation time back to its original length will vary from person to person and from day to day even in the same person.

Guidelines

Do not overstretch. If a muscle feels tight, stretch it after

stretching the offsetting muscle. Do not stretch injured or aching muscle. Always keep your neck and backbone in a

straight line. Stretch twice a day.

Guidelines

Stretch until you feel slight pulling. As you feel less tension you can increase the

stretch again until they feel the same slight pull. Hold this position until you feel no further increase. If you do not seem to gain any range of motion

using the above technique, you may consider holding the stretch longer (up to 60 seconds).

Holding a stretch

Most experts believe ballistic, or bouncing during a stretch, is dangerous because the muscle may reflexively contract if restretched quickly following a short relaxation period. Such eccentric contractions are believed to increase the risk of injury

What does stretching have to do with Chiropractic?

Movement Muscles determine position of spine, nerves

determine what muscles do.

One example of loss of motion: Osteoarthritis

“After two weeks of immobilization, the first signs of

eburnation appear in the subchondral bone, along with

sclerosis and remodeling of the metaphyseal bone.”

“Such changes are not reversible”

Experimental Models of Osteoarthritis:

the Role of Immobilization

T Videman, M.D. Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland

Immobilizatio

n

Thickening of the

capsule and

raised capsular

tension

Damage of

the cartilage

&

subchondral

bone

Elevated local

compression of

the articular

cartlage

Schematic presenting the role of

immobilization in the pathogenic chain

of osteoarthritis

T. Videman, M.D.

It is a lot easier to prevent than to repair.