Hamstring Stretch Training: Clinical Tidbit

Hamstring Stretch Training: Clinical Tidbit

Preliminary findings suggest nordic hamstring exercises and stretch training are a viable way to stimulate architectural adaptation. Changes in the passive elastic properties and ROM induced by stretch training is due to both increases in stretch tolerance AND changes in passive properties of muscle. This has been discussed and demonstrated in three recent studies

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How yoga got its stretch back

How yoga got its stretch back

"From the UK to Canada, China to India, around the world, yoga is big business. In 2016, Americans alone spent US$16 billion on yoga classes and products. To put that figure into perspective – this is the same amount allocated by the World Bank to help the entire continent of Africa tackle urgent climate change challenges."

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Effects of stretching and manual therapy on shoulder range of motion

Effects of stretching and manual therapy on shoulder range of motion

It has been documented that changes in rotator cuff stiffness are associated with the ROM deficits in pitchers, so rehabilitation programs that decrease tissue stiffness and improve range of motion have potential clinical implications for injury prevention.

If the goal is improving shoulder range of motion, a number of papers have demonstrated the effects of soft tissue mobilization or stretch training on tissue stiffness, shoulder internal rotation and horizontal adduction.  

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Why Do We Stretch in the Morning?

Why Do We Stretch in the Morning?

Pandiculation is an inherent movement to provide the body with feedback about the state of the soft tissue structures. I have wrote about this interesting phenomenon in previous posts (Pandiculation: The Cat Stretch).

Closely related to that post is this video that provides an overview of why we stretch in the morning.

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2016 in Review - Ten articles about low back pain

2016 in Review - Ten articles about low back pain

With the many documented biological and psychosocial benefits to a massage therapy, we are uniquely suited to help those who suffer from low back pain. One speed bump still in the way is the lack of systematic reviews and randomized control trials of massage therapy. There has been some movement it the last couple of years, but because because of the lack of a research culture in the profession these things take time.

To help massage therapists understand the issue of low back pain here we provide a break down a list of 10 articles on low back pain, this list is representative, not exhaustive. 

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