Advanced Stretching Techniques
Beyond stretching as a manual/movement therapy technique aimed at mechanically making a soft tissue longer, there are advanced stretching techniques that can be performed. One advanced stretching technique is known as pin and stretch. Neural inhibition can also be added to a stretch by making use of a neurologic reflex that relaxes / inhibits musculature.
Pin and Stretch
- Pin and stretch techniqueis a mechanical stretching technique that focuses the line of tension of the stretch to a specific region of the target muscle (one end or the other end of the target muscle).
- The therapist/instructor places a pin somewhere along the target muscle.
- Then one of the attachments of the target muscle is moved away from the other attachment.
- The force of the stretch is focused along the region of the muscle that is between the pinned point and the attachment that is moved.
Neural inhibition stretching
- Agonist Contract (AC) stretching:
- This technique is also known as Antagonist Contract stretching.
- This technique uses the Reciprocal Inhibition reflex.
- This is the basis for Aaron Mattes’ Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) technique.
- Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching:
- This term is used for stretching techniques that use the Reciprocal Inhibition reflex and/or the Golgi Tendon Organ reflex.
- Contract Relax (CR) stretching:
- This technique uses the Golgi Tendon Organ reflex.
- Post-Isometric Relaxation (PIR) stretching:
- This technique uses the Golgi Tendon Organ reflex.
Neurologic Reflexes
Reciprocal Inhibition (RI) reflex:
- When a muscle contracts, the antagonist musculature is relaxed (inhibited from contracting) so that it can lengthen to allow the joint motion to occur.
Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) reflex:
- When a muscle contracts sufficiently hard, and pulls on its tendons, the Golgi tendon organ receptors in the tendons are stimulated. This sends a signal into the central nervous system (spinal cord) that then inhibits that muscle (and its synergists) from contracting (relaxes it/them). The idea being that this is a protective reflex that prevents a muscle from contracting so forcefully that it tears its tendon.
Note: Muscle spindle reflex
- The muscle spindle reflex is not a neural inhibition reflex.
- Also known as the stretch reflex.
- When stretching, stimulation of this reflex is to be avoided because it increases muscle tone.
- It is essentially a protective reflex that senses when a muscle is being stretched either too far or too fast, and results in contraction of that muscle.
- For this reason, it is generally not a good idea to stretch quickly or too forcefully.
- Note: Muscle spindle activity also controls baseline muscle tone (“muscle memory”).
(Click here for the blog post article: What is Stretching?)
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