Passive Stretching
Passive stretching benefits ~ why its good for you
By Nicole Webb
Passive stretching benefits as an excellent technique that is employed by all practitioners here at Greensborough Remedial Massage & Myotherapy. Its a bit like brushing your teeth and finishing it with flossing. You can brush your teeth every single day, but if you don’t floss, you are not truly cleaning your teeth the best way that has been proven time and again.
We can massage you until the cows come home, and yes, you will feel great, re – balanced, revitalized etc, but massage treatment without passive stretching is like brushing with no flossing. Just like brushing your teeth, you are more than half way through your routine, your teeth are clean, they have been attended to, but the in between the teeth is where its at to keep them from decaying.
“True success is achieved by stretching oneself, learning to feel comfortable being uncomfortable.”
― Ken Poirot
Stretching after and even during a massage is one of the best times to receive passive stretching benefits. Why? Because we have warmed your body up for it. We have released trigger points that are restricting your range of motions ( how you move ), and we have re-lubricated the and re-organised the fascia by the intricate work. This occurs during treatment by either the use of cupping of myofascial release techniques such as Myofascial body shift. We have used heat with either the far infrared heat lamp or lupin heat packs. Your mind – body loop has slowed down, which means your mind isn’t going a hundred miles per minute. Which also happens to mean that your body is calmer, more lax and able to move better.
It’s from this point that your body is in the best state to receive passive stretching, which is where we move your body ( legs / arms / head / feet / hand) and take you into a stretch that is felt deeply and without pain. Your muscles begin to relearn how far they can relax after contraction. These stretches rewire these neuro – patterns to a new way of moving and supporting your body.
Its with our deep understanding and knowledge of your body’s anatomy and how it moves, we can apply up to a handful of passive stretches that will see you with the most benefit. Some are executed very simply, some are a little more complex. Each stretch is done precisely and with care.
No stretch should ever be painful.
Each passive stretch that is implemented will have its own set of ‘homework’ stretches for you continue to do in between treatments and for self care
