You never know who will show up at a Fascial Stretch Therapy workshop.

When one of our students heard that we were teaching a Level 1 Fascial Stretch Therapy workshop at Core Fitness Chicago, she couldn’t wait to refer her client, Phillip Jack Brooks, to have a stretch session by the creators of Fascial Stretch Therapy. For those of you who don’t know, Mr. Brooks is WWE superstar and Triple Crown Champion CM Punk.

Whether you like it or not, WWE guys are athletes that need every bit of strength, flexibility, balance, quickness, agility and coordination like any other athlete, and maybe even more. To get to the top, CM Punk and all the other WWE guys spent years with non-stop travel, constant over-night stays at a different hotels, constant jet lag, crappy on the road food, not enough sleep and over-training. To say the least multiple injuries are always present, increased by increasingly acrobatics they must all master in and out of the ring.

Even though CM Punk is at the top of his game as the 19th Triple Crown Champion of WWE, he has to maintain a grueling schedule of multiple bouts all over the world throughout the year with not much time off. One of the most important components of this training that makes this possible and contributes greatly to his success and career longevity is Fascial Stretch Therapy (or FST).

“After my first FST session with one of your students, I knew that this was something that made the most significant difference in how it made my body feel”, he said to Ann “Stretch Lady” Frederick, in front of a class of Level 1 FST workshop attendees. “I’ve had tons of bodywork and FST is tops” he said. as Ann quickly released his tight hips.

If you work in fitness, sports, manual or movement therapy and want personal and professional transformation to start the day after you complete our training, then register NOW for a 2 day Fascial Stretch Therapy Essentials course or a 5 day intensive Level 1 workshop at www.StretchToWin.com!

At 9:45am on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at the 3^rd Fascia Research Congress, no one had a clue what keynote speaker Gerald Pollack, PhD was about to unleash on the unsuspecting audience of 800 clinicians & researchers from 37 countries.

To get right to the point, he has discovered a 4^th phase of water that has the potential to literally revolutionize our world. Where do I start…?

Well, everyone knows of the 3 states of water we learned in school – solid (ice), liquid and gas (vapor). Dr. Pollack is a professor and research bioengineer with his team at the University of Washington’s joint program between the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine. He has discovered a 4^th state of water that exists as a separate, different kind of water apart from, without getting too scientific, the ‘regular’ water that is present essentially between interfaces like fascial layers, muscles and cell walls in the human body.

The quality of this water, that has been rigorously analyzed, is described as being a true liquid crystal (a term I first heard by reading the books of and speaking to friend, author and scientist James Oschman). That is, like jello, this 4^th phase of water is 95% water and the rest is protein but it doesn’t leak because the liquid crystal has layers that stick together thus retaining the water. Like jello, it is more viscous than regular water, kind of like the liquids in our bodies.

It is crystalline because of its loose lattice network that can, in the body, generate piezo-electricity from mechanical forces exerted upon it by manual and movement therapies. But in Pollacks’s many experiments, even at rest there is an electric potential generated by virtue of this 4^th layer that becomes segregated and negatively charged while the bulk water migrates to a different zone that becomes more positively charged. Pollock calls this 4^th layer EZ or Exclusion Zone water due to regular water moving away from it, thus forming a separate layer of negatively charged water when in the presence of radiant energy like the sun or other infrared waves. This phenomenon happened with many materials serving as the interface, including excised muscle tissue.

What are some of the highlights that have clinical implications for us? Here are a few to start (there is much more which I can post next time):

• While we have all heard that our bodies are 66%-75% water, Pollack stated that out of all the molecules in our bodies, 99% of them are water.

 I had a private discussion with Dr. Pollack who sat next to me the day after his presentation. One thing I asked was about the quality of the water we drink and the relevance of EZ water, as one variable in a complex subject. I explained to him how I think about water: it is a highly processed product in the US, like bread. While Wonder Bread and organic, unpreserved, chemical and pesticide free bread could hardly be called equal kinds of bread in terms of quality and its impact on your health, so can water be described. He agreed and stated his concern about the lack of EZ water in bottled water that naturally occurs in healthy, tested well water fed from springs, as one example.

If 99% of molecules in our body are water then better be thinking about exactly what are we putting into our bodies and those we love like kids and the elderly. Plastic bottled water as a primary source for our drinking water may not be the optimal water to drink. Further research is definitely warranted.

• Light speeds photon energy work capacity naturally inherent in water, i.e.E = H2O. Pollack further stated that radiant energy drives blood flow, water and lymph flow in mammals.

This fact lends support to light energy therapies that are popular now, e.g. low light lasers. It also supports many of us who practice energy therapeutics and recognize that disruptions in human and animal energy fields can cause disease and dysfunction. Treatment of these energy fields with the therapist’s focused, directed radiant energy (or human generated light) can stimulate and repair disruptions in client fields. For those practitioners that have no practical training in this, discrete use of therapeutic light emitting devices can be effective adjuncts but further research is much needed in this area.

In the meantime, it is a biochemical and clinical fact that both allopathic and “alternative” medical and nutrition literature indicate widespread deficiencies in Vitamin D in people. Could it be that widespread working environments plus commuting in sun-shielded transport vehicles has contributed all or in part to this common finding?

Without getting into the complex topic of supplementation (recent evidence shows that people process vitamin D at different rates and need careful, specific monitoring as D can be toxic if over-dosed),  a simple, quick start solution is for practitioners to advise their patients and clients, to get at least 10 minutes of sun bathing daily.  Except for people with a history of skin cancer or other skin disorders, or are taking antibiotics or other meds where sun is contra-indicated, light sun bathing in early morning (preferred over late afternoon but never in mid-day) is a beginning solution. The benefits are many, like improved blood, water and lymph flow, Vitamin D synthesis, improved mood, energy, cosmetic appearance and much more. Our ancestors worked all day in the sun, we work all day out of it, so get some more free, ‘paleo’ radiant energy for yourself and your patients/clients!

Chris Frederick, PT, KMI

Author of “Stretch to Win”

Contributing writer in the new book “Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body”

Co-director of the Stretch to Win Institute

Creators of Fascial Stretch Therapy™

www.StretchToWin.com

* * * * *

Note: Dr. Pollack mentioned that much of his theories and experiments on water and muscle are in this book, which Leon Chaitow, DO, ND was recommending in Facebook: Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life by Gerald Pollack

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0962689521/?tag=stretchtowin-20

Newest book on Fascia – Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body edited by Schleip and Chaitow, published by Elsevier

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0702034258/?tag=stretchtowin-20

* * * * *

Selected references for this article:

1. Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life, Ebner and Sons, Seattle, 2001 Zheng, J.-M., Chin, W. –C, Khijniak, E., Khijniak, E., Jr., Pollack, G. H.  Surfaces and Interfacial Water: Evidence that hydrophilic surfaces have long-range impact.  Adv. Colloid Interface Sci.  127:  
19-27,  2006.
2. Klyuzhin, I, Symonds, A, Magula, J and Pollack, GH: A new method of  
water purification based on the particle-exclusion phenomenon.   
Environ. Sci and Techn, 42(16) 6160-6166,
3. Ovchinnikova, K and Pollack, GH: Can water store charge?  Langmuir,
25: 542-547, 2009.
4. Zhao, Q, Ovchinnikova, K, Chai, B., Yoo, H, Magula, J and Pollack, GH.  
Role of proton gradients in the mechanism of osmosis.  J. Phys Chem  B
113: 10708-10714, 2009.
5. Nagornyak, E, Yoo, H and Pollack, GH: Mechanism of attraction between like-charged particles in aqueous solution. Soft Matter, 5, 3850 – 3857, 2009.
6. Chai, B, Yoo, H. and Pollack, GH: Effect of Radiant Energy on Near- Surface Water.  J. Phys. Chem B 113: 13953-13958, 2009.]

(Proceedings of the 3rd Fascia Research Congress)

Now that my head has had time to stop spinning, I can sit down and divulge a bit on what’s in, what’s out and where we’re headed in the world of fascia.

First, for those who wondered why my wife Ann Frederick and I had reserved seats in the first row with other distinguished professionals like Robert Schleip and Leon Chaitow. It was because Ann and Robert’s wife, Divo were commissioned to do the movement piece at certain breaks. Thanks to them adding a little fascial fitness and relief for our butts, 800 attendees got to shake their booties and give their cerebrums a break!

The Congress (aka ‘FRC3’)

“Stretch” was one word that was used over and over and over again at the 3^rd Fascia Research Congress, which just ended this past Friday.

Here in a nutshell are what’s in and what’s out, but be warned – some of this research will completely challenge some of your established, long standing beliefs of how the body actually works:

1.    Carla Stecco, MD and Antonio Stecco, MD: these guys continue to blow my mind with their extensive and consistent dedication to forge new frontiers in helping us understand the architecture and kinesiology of fascia. Their English has improved since the last Congress in 2009, but I still want to order pizza after they speak!

• What’s in
• Myofascial expansions transmit force and proprioception to an entire myofascial chain, train or meridian (e.g. all the muscles used from shoulder-arm-forearm-wrist-hand) to perform a function (e.g. flexion of the upper extremity).

• What’s out
• the simple one muscle-one tendon-to bone model we all learned in school. Current textbooks in anatomy and kinesiology are in serious doubt as to their accuracy; all must take an active role in re-educating others, from colleagues to clients and patients.

• Comment(s):

• this concept will surely divide professionals from those that still practice and train from old school anatomy and kinesiology concepts from those that incorporate these new discoveries with innovations of training and care for clients and patients.
• Neural manual and movement therapies are all the rage now but will have limited success if new concepts like myofascial expansions are not included in evaluations and assessments. Using the example above, neural axoplasmic flow may be compromised from any number of anatomic locations due to mobility impedance like hypomobility and/or inelasticity of the fascial layers, myofascial expansions, and neurovascular interfaces.
• The Steccos stated that these expansions are activated in motion via stretch forces that help transmit neural communication via proprioceptors. I postulate that this finding supports the use of Fascial Stretch Therapy™ (FST™) (as one effective manual technique) to rapidly restore normal function in cases of impaired mobility of fascial layers and/or expansions.

2.    Paul Standley, PhD: if the Steccos are the pioneers in macro discoveries in the world of fascia, Dr. Standley is surely a pioneer in the micro world. Ann and I had the privilege of taking a tour of Standley’s lab and meeting his staff and hope to collaborate on studies of the effects of stretching on humans in the near future.

• What’s in
  • Stretching human fascial cells (fibroblasts) reverses cell death (apoptosis) from simulated repetitive motion injury.

• What’s out
  • Stretching doesn’t help injury

• Comment(s)
  • Standley did several studies using parameters of simulated myofascial release (MFR) to see what effects it had on fascial cells that were injured by simulated repetitive motion injury (strain over 8 hours or “a full day’s work”).
  • Since I noticed that Standley’s simulation of MFR did not include components of pressure and shear but only stretch, I personally approached him after his presentation to clarify my question of this. He admitted to me that his inspiration for this study was osteopathic students using MFR to treat injury, so his intent was to reproduce the clinical application of MFR on cells. However, he said that he did not measure or include pressure and shear variables in his study, and that I was correct that he only measured and studied the stretch component.
  • I propose from this evidence and from years of practice based evidence in my clinic that stretching does help patients recover from repetitive motion injury (as well as many other kinds of injuries).
  • Further I have found that stretching also prevents injuries, which is supported by some recent studies by other authors. This refutes previous systematic reviews by Schrier and others that concluded that stretching does not prevent injuries.

 3.    Just heard: these are a collection of mostly “one liners” taken from my notes that impressed me. It’s a combination of a lot of what I heard and a little of what I concluded. Most if not all of them support the work that we do in Fascia Stretch Therapy™:

• proliferation of myofibroblasts can cause a pathological stiffening of the ECM (extracellular matrix) contributing to scar tissue formation
• it is proven that stretching can affect the cell nucleus therefore can influence gene expression
• fibroblasts change shape which affects stiffness and viscosity of fascia within minutes
• we can decrease fibrosis in tight tissue but can we increase fibrosis in lax tissues?
• Mechanical forces (e.g. stretching) directly affect molecular, biochemical and gene expression. This plays a key role in cell and extracellular physiological processes via cytoskeleton tension, traction and pre-stress effects. This is the function and form of tensegrity in the human body.
• Fascia forms an ‘ectoskeleton’ that surrounds, divides and links muscles together.
• There is a lubricating layer of hyaluronic acid between the muscle and its epimysium.
• Deep fascia was previously thought to be avascular and only served a protective function for the muscle. Detailed analysis reveals rich vascularity in this layer, especially important in flap surgery used in reconstructions.

Final comments: sliding fascial tissue layers with hyaluronic acid allow continuity of a nerve and circulatory vessel network (blood and lymph) along with mast, stem and fibroblast cell presence and migration. I hypothesize that any interruption to these physiological processes, e.g. scar, dehydration, generic neuromyofascial tightness or hypomobility, will impair the proper functioning of many of the body’s systems. Clinically applied stretching (when indicated for specific diseases or dysfunctions) is one promising modality that can restore function but only if the proper parameters of intensity, duration and frequency are utilized. This warrants further research and study.

Please comment and let me know if you’d like some more information like this from the rest of the presenters at this convention.

Chris Frederick, PT, Certified in Kinesis Myofascial Integration

Co-Director of the Stretch to Win Institute where we offer training in Fascial Stretch Therapy™ 

www.StretchToWin.com

http://budurl.com/STWIFacebook

http://twitter.com/ChrisAndAnn

The word ‘marketing’ means different things to different people. The website www.dictionary.com defines it as:

“the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling.”

Note that the adjectives ‘sleazy’ or ‘pushy’ are not included. Those terms go with ‘guerilla marketing’, most popular in the 80’s -90’s but burned most of us out such that we have become hypersensitive to those tactics.

My friend, Joe Polish, is trying to re-brand the word ‘marketing’ by pointing out that some of the worlds most successful non-profit, humanitarian organizations wouldn’t survive, much less even be known, without marketing. These include many like Make-A-Wish Foundation and Tom’s Shoes.

Professionals in health, fitness and sports who have a great service and/or product(s) need to market in a believable way to bring something of value to a prospect that is already having that conversation in their head.

Joe likes to say “Believability is better than credibility” and it’s true. Experts think they don’t have to market themselves, their service or product because, well, they’re experts, so people should know that, believe them and use them. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as anyone who looks to do business with an expert in medicine, law or business knows.

You don’t look in the yellow pages or get a number off of a billboard if you want the best. You go by word of mouth first then if you can’t get that, you need to believe the marketing of that expert to persuade you to give them a call.

A credible background, resume or business is not enough. You have to market yourself and will be much more successful if you can uniquely position yourself.

Go to Joe Polish’s free marketing podcast at www.ILoveMarketing.com or download free at iTunes and start your marketing lessons now so you can learn best how to let the world know what value you can offer them.

Chris Frederick
chris@stretchtowin.com
www.StretchToWin.com

PS my lucky students will be getting these lessons from me real soon so stay posted and look for emails from our Administrator, Marlene at marlene@stretchtowin.com.

Raz Chan owns a fitness & sports performance center in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He is a BJJ instructor, high level MMA competitor & he recently got certified as a Level 1 Fascial Stretch Therapy Provider. Now his business is exploding because he can help so many more people with his new skills. In fact, the Canada Fight Network came to film Raz using FST on MMA fighter Bibiano Fernandes. Chris interviews Raz about his remarkably rapid personal & professional transformation…enjoy!

For workshops in Fascial Stretch Therapy for fitness trainers/coaches, massage therapists & bodyworkers, physical therapists, athletic trainers and chiropractors and all movement therapists/instructors, go to www.StretchToWin.com.

The Stretch to Win Center, a uniquely special place where people came from all over the world to Tempe, AZ, USA for personal and professional transformation, closed on January 31, 2012.

However the Fredericks continue to direct and operate The Stretch to Win Institute (StretchToWin.com), where professionals in rehabilitation medicine, health, fitness and sports come to get certified in a proprietary system of neuromyofascial manual and movement therapy and training for the whole body called Fascial Stretch Therapy.

Directors Ann and Chris Frederick wish to thank all of their clients and patients for entrusting us with their bodies, minds and spirits for the past 17 years to get out of pain, improve functional performance and live a truly optimal life.

The Stretch to Win Institute attracts highly talented professionals who want to help more people and make more money. The immediate benefit to students are the following:

> new assessment skills of the neuromyofascial system
> faster assessments = quicker treatment/training results
> quicker results = increased patient/client satisfaction
> increased satisfaction = more referrals

Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) is a complete system for the whole body to quickly get out of pain and back to function. It can be successfully integrated with what you do now and/or be a separate, cash revenue service that will double your income.

When Ann Frederick started her FST practice in January 1995 she grossed $12K. When Ann and Chris closed their doors, the Center was generating $600K, a 50 times earnings increase, with FST being the prime service!!

You get much more than uniquely effective, innovative manual and movement therapy and training with FST. You will get a “plug and play”, turn-key system based on the Fredericks proven, extremely successful prototype business model. Student support in marketing and business setup is available to insure success. What other course that you have taken can even compare?

Register NOW at www.StretchToWin.com (or call Marlene, our Institute administrator at 480-772-5913) and join the international FST family, who will help you with referrals and other opportunities that are only available to this group of highly sought after professionals.

At 13 Pro Bowls, Ray Lewis is unarguably one of the best linebackers to ever play in the NFL. For 16 seasons, he has seen tons of trainers & therapists outside of the Ravens staff in his effort to leave no stone unturned in seeing the best to take care of the best.

When he heard from team mate & famed wide receiver, Anquan Boldin, that he has been using Fascial Stretch Therapy since his rookie days with Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals, Lewis took notice. Enter trainer and Certified Fascial Stretch Therapist, Barbara Depta, who took 3 levels of training in FST at the Stretch to Win Institute with Ann Frederick and Chris Frederick.

Like most veterans in sports, Ray Lewis knew as soon as Depta put her hands on him whether he would leave pissed off at a waste of time or stay, pay and play better. Now Barbara Depta has been a personal trainer for 11 years NOT a bodyworker, but Fascial Stretch Therapy has given her the skills of a therapist to correct fascial imbalances, remove neuromuscular inhibitions and improve muscle activation.

Listen to this inspiring interview to see why Ray Lewis chose Fascial Stretch Therapy to help him at the AFC Championship game and will keep him playing at a high level for seasons to come. For more information on how to get certified in Fascial Stretch Therapy, go to StretchToWin.com or email marlene@stretchtowin.com. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER: this blog post merely serves as the author’s opinion &  therefore it does NOT serve as medical advice. No blog post can serve as a consultation, diagnosis or complete advice without the involved person seeing a health professional & having a complete exam. Consequently any advice on a matter or person contained in this blog post must be construed only as opinion and information and not as professional advisement. Therefore any claim of liability is hereby waived and no responsibility whatsoever is assumed by following the opinions stated in this blog post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Stretch to Win Institute trains professionals in Fascial Stretch Therapy™, a manually performed, table-based complete system that stands alone as a new service or integrates perfectly with your current services. Go to www.stretchtowin.com , call 480-772-5913 or email us at marlene@stretchtowin.com for more information.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StretchToWinInstitute

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ChrisAndAnn

LinkedIn: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/chrisfrederickstretchtowin

I just received an email from one of my students who said she will be getting a new client with 2 hip replacements and that she wanted to make sure about the precautions and contraindications before seeing the client. Note that this student is a Level 1 Fascia Stretch Therapy (FST) Practitioner and a Level 1 Biosignature Practitioner (Nutrition), therefore has no medical training or other experience with prosthetics.

Despite not having a medical background, personal trainers, strength coaches, pilates and yoga instructors, etc are getting more clients with medical diagnoses like joint replacements. Many times this is because the medical system–physical therapy in particular–has failed to provide optimal outcomes before the patient is discharged. The patient ends up still trying to get better and reach their goals with non-medical professionals. Therefore I feel it is my obligation to assist these professionals with information like that which follows, which will empower these professionals to work better within their license or certification and help their clients get out of pain and function optimally.

There are a number of precautions and contraindications for clients with a hip replacement, among which are:

1. Total hip replacement (or THR) post surgical orders for positions the patient must avoid and for how long are dependent on the particular surgeon’s biases and preferences. Some surgeons tell their patients NEVER, EVER cross their legs, sit on a seat lower than the height of their knees or turn their foot inward…FOREVER! Others tell their patients they have no precautions. The best you can do is first ask your client what the doctor told them to do and follow it. If they don’t remember then err on the conservative side and follow the former rule.

2. THR or hip prosthetics are subject to manufacturer recall (see photo of broken stem above). They fail like car brakes may fail therefore it is best to get the make and model number of the hip to check for recalls BEFORE it fails on you while working with the client. Ask the client to get this information before they come in to see you.

3. THR have a limited lifespan of 12-15 years before they loosen or otherwise lose integrity and have to be replaced. You need to know if your  client has an old implant in which case, if they are having hip problems of ANY kind, refer them back to the surgeon for a check BEFORE you touch that hip. If it dislocates while in your hands, it may not have been your fault for doing anything wrong but that will be hard to prove in a lawsuit.

4. If all the above is clear or the surgeon even recommended you to stretch this type of client, you must AVOID traction of the hip joint capsule. Traction of the spine, knee or ankle is fine as long as you do not go through the hip joint to accomplish those tasks. Work more aggresively above and below the hip prosthesis to increase flexibility and range of motion. Work even more on the opposite side which has been overused to protect the arthritic hip which, in many cases, was extremely painful for many years. This led to a host of compensations throughout the body, which becomes a veritable blank slate upon which you can do a lot to help this client.

If you are a practitioner of FST then, lots of oscillation, circumduction, micro-traction, to the actual prosthetic hip. Lots of trigger point release work around the greater trochanter, especially the gluteus minimus and deep rotators. More intense stretching of the spine, low back, hamstrings, quads, calfs.

Finally, follow your gut instinct. One of my clients who is now chief of anesthesiology in a hospital told me that he follows evidenced based protocols until they don’t offer solutions, then he switches to pure instinct based on years of experience that has helped him save many lives in the emergency room and operating room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER: this blog post merely serves as the author’s opinion &  therefore it does NOT serve as medical advice. No blog post can serve as a consultation, diagnosis or complete advice without the involved person seeing a health professional & having a complete exam. Consequently any advice on a matter or person contained in this blog post must be construed only as opinion and information and not as professional advisement. Therefore any claim of liability is hereby waived and no responsibility whatsoever is assumed by following the opinions stated in this blog post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Stretch to Win Institute trains professionals in Fascial Stretch Therapy™, a manually performed, table-based complete system that stands alone as a new service or integrates perfectly with your current services. Go to www.stwinstitute.com, call 480-772-5913 or email us at marlene@stretchtowin.com for more information.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StretchToWinInstitute

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ChrisAndAnn

LinkedIn: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/chrisfrederickstretchtowin

One of my students, a Level 1 provider of Fascial Stretch Therapy™ and a Pilates Instructor, asked me why one of her clients feels discomfort in his back when she stretches his hip flexors and quads:

Question: Have been stretching some of my athletes.  One of the Pro Football Players I’ve been working with LOVES it!!!!…the only problem, every time I try to stretch his hip flexors and quads he feels it in his back.  He’s a corner back.  Tight hip flexors/quads.  Pretty good flexibility in his hamstrings but tight tight back!

Any quick tricks you and Ann can send my way? Looking forward to taking level 2. Thanks!

Answer: This can be a common problem depending on your clientele and the position you put the client in for this stretch. Here are the solutions for assisted stretching for both the sidelying, supine and prone positions:

1. Sidelying: non-stretched leg stabilized on table vs hanging off table

a. bottom leg on table

(1) bring bottom knee higher so hip-torso angle is equal to or greater than 90 degrees or even have client hold knee toward chest if still has pain.

(2) add cervical and thoracic flexion to above, thus assuming a fetal position

(3) if client still has discomfort, switch to supine (discussed below)

B. Supine (or Thomas test position)

(1) increase hip flexion of non-stretched leg

(2) make sure stretched leg is not fulcruming into anterior pelvic tilt, in which case, slide client up higher on table.

C. Prone

(1) non-stretched leg must be off table and hip flexed at least 30 degrees (45 degrees or more preferred) with foot flat on floor.

If client still has low back discomfort or pain, check for hypertonic/adhesed/densified iliacus and/or psoas bilaterally. Since a Pilates instructor is not licensed to do manual therapy, have them do self myofascial release on a 5″ FITball, raquet ball, etc then re-try assisted stretching using above modifications as indicated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER: this blog post merely serves as the author’s opinion &   therefore it does NOT serve as medical advice. No blog post can serve as a consultation, diagnosis or complete advice without the involved person seeing a health professional & having a complete exam. Consequently any advice on a matter or person contained in this blog post must be construed only as opinion and information and not as professional advisement. Therefore any claim of liability is hereby waived and no responsibility whatsoever is assumed by following the opinions stated in this blog post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Stretch to Win Institute trains professionals in Fascial Stretch Therapy™, a manually performed, table-based complete system that stands alone as a new service or integrates perfectly with your current services. Go to www.stwinstitute.com, call 480-394-9121 or email us at marlene@stretchtowin.com for more information.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StretchToWinInstitute

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ChrisAndAnn

LinkedIn: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/chrisfrederickstretchtowin