HEALTH & WELLBEING
So, are some people
really just‘ inflexible’?
with Andreas Klein
People often try stretching eventually resigning themselves to believing they’ re naturally‘ inflexible’
The key to their inability to lengthen muscles, comes down to two issues of poor stretching:
1. regularity
2. technique
Usually individuals stretch for a few seconds, probably for less than 30. They often‘ push’ their stretches – to‘ feel the pain’ of a good stretch. Stretchingassociated-pain is often a key reason why they don’ t like to stretch and don’ t do it for long.
Stretching aggressively for short periods is often unlikely to gain effective long-term increases in flexibility.
Little organelles in muscles called‘ muscle spindles’ send signals from muscle to brain indicating muscle length. A bigger stretch sends a stronger signal. A strong enough signal will elicit a‘ myotatic reflex contraction’ stopping your muscle from stretching further and will be interpreted as painful.
In short, flexibility has little to do with actual‘ muscle and connective’ tissue length, but with how strongly and at what stretch-length the myotatic reflex elicits a contraction that resists further stretching.
Done correctly over a period of weeks, regular stretching modifies the way the‘ spindle-brain’ system reacts to stretch:
1. It dampens the strength of the signal sent to the brain by muscle spindles,
2. It makes the brain less sensitive to muscle spindle signals,
3. Reduces the likely hood of a stretch being able to elicit pain, and
4. Reduces the likelihood of any stretch being able to elicit a myotatic reflex contraction.
Thus, after regular stretching it takes a much bigger stretch to generate a spindle-signal strong enough to stop you stretching. That is, your body‘ learns to stretch’ further.
Hopefully, you can now understand that stretching is simply just a‘ learned skill’! As with any other skill, correct repetition of the skill, improves performance.
So, to become flexible, a person must practice stretching regularly and keep stretching to remain good at it. Appropriate stretching can relax and lengthen lower-back muscles too, which can help ease lower back pain.
If you have a back or musculoskeletal injury and need help why not give Andreas a call at the clinic on 0418 166 269.
SUFFERING constant BACK PAIN? Want to ENJOY LIFE again?
Work & play like you used to after just a few sessions!
I’ ve personally developed this technique after 16 years experience:
“ After years of severe back pain I’ m now enjoying golf, fully pain free and even started brick-laying again!” John Hasler, Glenmore Park
Andreas Klein Nutritionist & Remedial Therapist
BSc, Adv Dip Nut Med, DRM
“ I’ d given up really- I’ d tried so many things. In just a couple of sessions the pain and muscle spasms had gone. I’ d recommend your work to anyone.” Craig Gibson, Richmond
FREE OFFER!
If you’ re sick of being in constant back pain CALL NOW for your FREE 30min Assessment Session!
Valued at $ 55
Remedial Muscle Elongation Therapy targets the cause of chronic back pain and inflammation to really eliminate them. This technique works well for shoulders and knees too!
Call Andreas 0418 166 269
THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 183 // AUGUST 2025 21