Understanding the basics of stretching -- Focusing on facilitated stretching -- Using the spiral-diagonal patterns of PNF -- Stretches for the lower extremity -- Stretches for the upper extremity -- Stretches for the neck and torso -- Combining techniques to release fibrotic tissue -- Stretching routines for specific activities -- Routines for common soft tissue injuries.

Facilitated Stretching, Fourth Edition, examines techniques and guidelines for PNF stretches in a variety of settings. Stretches are demonstrated on a treatment table, mat on the floor, chair, cable-pulley machine, and weightlifting bench. Stretches are grouped according to each joint, and the majority of the stretches include both a partner stretch version and a self-stretch version. As in previous editions, specific routines are included for cycling, golf, running, swimming, throwing and racket sports, and now ice hockey. It also includes general stretches for everyday use, plus stretches for those with “rusty hinges.” These ready-made stretching routines make it easy to incorporate facilitated stretching into a workout regimen and take the guesswork out of organizing a stretching routine to match the needs of a specific sport.

Demonstrates a technique of preventive muscle stretching based upon reciprocal innervation of muscle tissue, the agonist-antagonist reflex. With each exercise, the type of flexion and the muscle groups used are provided. The Mattes Method of Active Isolated Stretching is a myofascial release and therapeutic treatment for deep and superficial muscles, tendons and fascia.

Therapeutic Stretching focuses on the use of both active and passive stretching as part of the rehabilitation of common musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. Covering all forms of stretches for the able-bodied, injured, and selected special populations, Therapeutic Stretching is a comprehensive resource for practitioners and students working in massage therapy, osteopathy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation, and personal and athletic training. With both active and passive stretches outlined for a range of musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, Therapeutic Stretching offers a range of rehabilitative stretches for the foot and ankle, knee and leg, hip and thigh, upper limb, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand and fingers, and back and neck. Author Jane Johnson, a practicing physiotherapist, sport massage therapist, and body work instructor, provides information on incorporating passive stretching as a treatment option and selecting appropriate active stretches for clients to practice at home. Heavily illustrated with more than 230 color photos, Therapeutic Stretching provides excellent visual instruction on client positioning and the most effective handholds for the application of passive stretches to various joints and soft tissues. A user-friendly format, clear explanations of stretching techniques, and visual guidance from photos help students and practitioners readily incorporate these stretches into their practice. Therapeutic Stretching outlines the rationale for stretching after musculoskeletal injury along with general safety guidelines and an overview of the musculoskeletal conditions addressed in the text. Also included is a discussion of the differences between and applications of passive, active, and advanced forms of stretching such as muscle energy technique (MET) and soft tissue release (STR). Readers of Therapeutic Stretching will find a 10-step process for designing, implementing, and assessing a stretching program. The text discusses applications of therapeutic stretching for three special populations: elderly clients, pregnant women, and athletes. For each, a listing of common physiological factors or characteristics that might affect a stretching program is included, along with tips on modifications to employ when working with these individuals. Following this foundational information are three chapters with photos and descriptions of active and passive stretches for musculoskeletal injuries and conditions of the lower limbs, upper limbs, and trunk. Here readers will find stretches useful for treating injuries and conditions such as sprained ankles, shin splints, runner’s knee, tight calves or hamstrings, adhesive capsulitis, lateral epicondylitis, stiff wrists, kyphosis, low back pain, stiff neck, and whiplash. Special Tip boxes throughout the text offer guidance on modifying the stretches and techniques to meet the needs of individual clients. Tables detail the passive and active stretches covered in each chapter and indicate whether a stretch is contraindicated for a particular injury or condition. Following most chapters are five Quick Questions that assist readers in gauging their understanding of the content. In addition, Therapeutic Stretching includes a visual guide to stretching routines that could be performed in the prone, supine, and seated positions. These suggested routines assist students and practitioners new to therapeutic stretching in learning to apply these stretches in an efficient manner and without excessive repositioning of the client. Therapeutic Stretching offers a range of stretches to assist both current and future practitioners in safely treating clients rehabilitating from musculoskeletal conditions and injuries. Delivering the most up-to-date stretching techniques, this guide is a valuable resource for professionals in health care, rehabilitation, fitness, and body work seeking tools to assist their clients in alleviating muscular pain, reducing joint stiffness, and speeding recovery from injury. Therapeutic Stretching is part of the Hands-On Guides for Therapists series, providing tools of assessment and treatment that fall well within the realm of massage therapists but may be useful for other body workers, such as osteopaths and fitness instructors. The guides include full-color instructional photographs, Tips sections that provide advice on adjusting massage techniques, Client Talk boxes that present ideas for creatively applying techniques for various types of clients, and questions that test knowledge and skill.

Manage everyday pain with this effective, trainer-approved program that uses resistance stretching to increase strength, release tension, rejuvenate tissues—and much more. This accessible guide gives step-by-step instructions for people who feel tight or older than they should, people with poor posture, athletes who want to boost their performance, and those who want something more than conventional stretching. This book provides you with many different stretches for the whole body including the hands and feet, as well as routines for specific goals such as improving posture, helping office workers stay healthy, stretching the back, and more. Even those with sedentary lives will see and feel a difference, with just 10-20 minutes of stretching yielding benefits that may last the whole day. Many of us are limited in our movements, hunched over, or tight. Ideally, we would move in a variety of ways throughout the day, keeping our bodies fresh and youthful. However, office jobs and sofas can lead to bodies that are imprisoned in a cage of tension, whose tissue is dehydrated and stuck together, with some areas that are very weak or tight. Normal stretching is not strong enough to break us out of that state. When we tense our bodies and move through that tension, we engage the fascia and recondition it into a more youthful state, restoring great posture, elasticity, and power.

Frédéric Delavier has captivated millions with Strength Training Anatomy. Now readers have access to his exercise expertise and trademark illustrations once again with Delavier's Stretching Anatomy. With 250 full-color photos and 300 detailed illustrations, this guide depicts over 130 exercises to increase flexibility, tone muscles and reduce injury. All body regions are covered and sport-specific stretching routines are included. Original.

Describes a total body routine designed to help people build muscle flexibility, strength, and balance, and includes specific routines for fitness and sports. Includes photographic sequences.

Sports Massage for Injury Care explains why manual therapy is so valuable in treating musculoskeletal injuries. It presents injury-specific protocols for treating and preventing recurrence of 20 of the most common neuromuscular injuries seen in athletes.

Stretching Anatomy, Second Edition, is a visual guide to 86 stretches for increasing range of motion, muscular strength, stamina, posture, and flexibility. Step-by-step instructions describe how to perform each stretch, while 110 full-color anatomical illustrations highlight the primary muscles and surrounding structures engaged.

Prescriptive Stretching, Second Edition, incorporates easy-to-understand full-color anatomical illustrations to demonstrate exactly how to use stretches to relieve soreness and imbalances in a targeted way. By using these stretches, readers can reduce their risk of injury and relieve unwanted pain.