Teach clients how to use massage aids
such as foam rollers, tennis balls, golf balls,
squash balls, or trigger point therapy sticks
(such as a Theracane®) and electronic
massage devices, as well as their hands
and fingers, to perform self-massage.
Recommend techniques that clients can
replicate at home, the office, or anywhere
they feel completely comfortable.
An example of a self-massage technique
would be using a tennis ball to help
recondition the soft tissues of the buttock
area (i.e. glutes and hip rotators) (photo 1).
Stretching
Once the self-massage techniques have
helped deconditioned soft tissue structures
become more fluid and healthy, it is time to
use stretching to increase the comfortable
range of motion for the muscles, fascia,
tendons, ligaments and joints. Stretching
involves elongating and lengthening muscle
fibres (and their accompanying soft tissues
and fascia) in order to restore blood flow and
elasticity to those structures (Walker, 2007).
Many different types of stretching exercises
can help facilitate flexibility/mobility and
When a client’s muscles cannot activate correctly, it is
important to get them firing again before attempting to engage
them in dynamic movements.
retrain movement in those parts of the body
that have become dysfunctional as a result
of chronic malalignment (Alter, 1996).
Three common stretching techniques are:
1. passive
2. active
3. dynamic.
Each technique, which should be used in the
order listed above, offers a unique benefit to
clients as they prepare for the next stage of
their corrective exercise program.
Passive
Passive stretching involves holding a static
position for a predetermined amount of time
to achieve an increased range of movement
around a joint or number of joints. Passive
stretches are a good choice to use at the
beginning of a stretching program. An
2
Seated lower back stretch
example of a passive stretch would be a
seated lower back stretch (photo 2).
Active
Active
stretching
involves
a
concept
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