Stretching exercises form a cornerstone of physical therapy in order to manage chronic as well as acute musculo-skeletal injuries. Stretching helps in the proper approximation of tissues and ligaments in order to ensure proper healing and optimal recovery. Moreover, most physical therapists also suggest stretching exercises in order to prevent injuries in physically active individuals as part of warm-up exercises.
There are 7 common stretching exercises that are helpful for the optimal nourishment of skeletal tissues and ligaments, whether you are recovering from active tissue injury or you want to improve the strength and stability of your ligaments.
Static stretching exercises aim at pulling your muscles (and other connective tissue components) to the farthest point in space to induce a stretching sensation. It does not require bouncing, running or any other activity. Stretching exercises can be performed in an upright position for the health and well- being of muscular components (joints tendons and golgi bodies) as well as ligaments. Just recently inversion therapy is also becoming very popular (that deals with stretching of tissues in inverted position). Inversion therapy promotes the health of joints (especially intervertebral joints) by decreasing gravity induced pressure changes.
Research study conducted by William D Bandy that is published in the renowned scientific journal Physical Therapy suggest that stretching of hamstring muscles for just a period of 30 seconds once daily is helpful in improving chronic knee pain and increases the range of motion without requiring any other intervention or therapy. Bandy also suggested that regular stretching increases flexibility of tissues and prevents future injuries.
Passive stretching as the name indicates refers to stretching of muscles and ligaments with the help of an assistant. It is employed in cases when the muscles are either too weak or very stiff to make any active stretching possible. The assistant that helps in passive stretching of tissues can be a registered physical therapist or a friend or family member (after taking guidance from physical therapist) who can supply necessary pull or tension in the direction of limb activity.
Michael D. Bang conducted a study on 52 subjects (both male and female) to ascertain the effect of passive stretching exercises in the case of shoulder impingement syndrome. The study population was divided as a treatment group that received supervised stretching and flexibility exercises from registered physical therapists, while the control group performed the same exercises by themselves. At the end of the study, it was concluded that although both groups experienced improvement in pain symptoms and range of motion, the treatment group experienced far better results, suggesting passive exercises performed under the supervision of physical therapists are associated with promising results.
Dynamic stretching deals with active movement of upper limbs in full swinging motion to access the range of motion and degree of flexibility. Moreover, with dynamic swinging motion of upper limbs (full controlled) the inertia of upper limbs helps in decreasing stiffness and promotes full range of activity.
Ballistic stretching deals with excessive stretching of a limb in order to promote activities beyond normal range of motion. This promotes an active recoiling activity across joints that also trigger the quiescent stretch reflexes of joints.
It is however important to know that ballistic stretching is not for all individuals especially those who are in the healing stage of tissue recovery. This is because the risk of injury is fairly high with this form of stretching due to the increased amount of stress and strain on small muscle fibers and ligaments. It is recommended especially for athletes and professional sports players to enhance exercise endurance, physical strength and stamina.
Active isolated stretching, just like ballistic stretching is more commonly employed by athletes and professionals to enhance the stability, flexibility and strength of muscles, tissues and tendons in a certain position. All these stretches are more helpful for developmental stability of small muscle fibers that are normally missed by traditional gym exercises.
The working principle of active isolated stretching lies in attempting isolated active stretching of limbs or set of muscles that is followed by holding the position for at least 30 seconds or more without using any support by an assistant. A simple example would be a flying kick in air that is held in air for 30 to 45 seconds.
Isometric stretching involves extending or stretching a tissue or limb against resistance. It is performed best when you have an assistant or therapist. Muscle fiber length remains unaltered but the tension and stretch in fibers promote strength and stability. It is equally effective for individuals who are physically active and those who are not.
The proportional combination of active stretching, passive stability and isometric muscular activity for maximal flexibility of tissues, and is referred to as Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. Use of an assistant can significantly help in increasing range of motion, strength and stability of muscle fibers.
For best results, it is recommended to speak to a physical therapist to know more about the safety and efficacy protocols of these 7 fundamental physical therapy exercises.
For best results, it is recommended to speak to a physical therapist to know more about the safety and efficacy protocols of these 7 fundamental physical therapy exercises.
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