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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Chiefs, Emperors and Presidents as well as the rest of us have to squat. Activities of life, like our morning visit to the bathroom, retrieving objects off the floor, getting down to the level of our young kids and so on necessitate this functional movement.

In most cultures outside of Western ones, one may still see elderly people being able to squat. It appears that they were impervious to the hip and knee arthritis that plagues everyone else, not to mention hip replacement surgery.

What can we do to prevent us or our clients from losing the squat? What can be done for fit people to improve their squat? In this post, we will focus on the foot and ankle, working from the ground up, saving knees, hips, low back and the upper body for future posts.

Foot and ankle

By far, the most common limitation to the squat in today’s world of people that mostly work at desktops, is at the ankle. But let’s start with foot wear: most shoes, even for males, have a heel. We weren’t born with an elevated heel, which puts the foot into what professionals call ‘plantar-flexion’. This fixed position tends to shift the whole body forward onto the ball of the foot, the more so with higher heels. Besides increasing pressure into the joints of the ball of the foot, called ‘metarsal-phalangeal joints’, the entire back of the body from the plantar fascia on up through the
legs, hips, back and neck increase in tone and tension. And people wonder why they get knots in their muscles… .

Fortunately there has been a small, but growing movement away from heels, in dress and athletic shoes but for most people, this has been a lifetime issue therefore the body does not simple accept going barefoot all day without you knowing about it. The reason is all the compensations that have occurred over a long period of time. Compensations, like developing an anterior pelvic tilt, work for the short term to bring the body back to an acceptable alignment to deal with gravity and the mechanical forces of life. However, compensations become their own problems, as joints get mal-aligned and muscles get functional imbalances. The good news is, these compensations can be removed with Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST).

Fascial Stretch Therapy and the Ankle

The most common problem for trainers and therapists when assessing someone’s squat, is decreased dorsiflexion (or reduced bending to lower the body). Most often to blame is one of the muscles in the calf called the ‘soleus‘. Unlike its fraternal twin, the gastrocnemius, it only crosses over one joint, at the ankle. So it gets the blame for being tight and adhesed, locking the ankle and preventing a smooth, deep squat.

Recent evidence in dissection studies by Carla Stecco, MD show that the fascia of the lower leg is not only the most resistant to stretch, but also has criss-crossing patterns of spiraling connective tissue pathways that demand much more movement than just a traditional calf and achilles
stretch. Even the stretches specifically targeting the lateral (outside) and the medial (inside) soleus are not enough to get the full range of motion that traps the flexibility and strength potential in the ankles. One big reason is that traditional stretches do not decompress the joint and release impingment.

In FST, we use a weight bearing/closed kinetic chain method of assisted stretch that creates traction/decompression and widening at the talo-crural (ankle) joint, while simultaneously accesses the spiraling lines of fascia previously mentioned. In the process, any hypomobility of the fibula at the knee and/or ankle is also corrected. Additionally, lack of talus glide posteriorly is corrected as well. The result is a full range of motion perfect squat in just one treatment, if the restriction was relegated to lack of ankle dorsiflexion mobility.

* * *

Part 2 in this series of The Almighty Squat will take us to the knee, a joint more complex than the simple hinge that it appears to be.

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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 info@stretchtowin.com for more information.

Question from my student: I had a client fracture their ankle and I took a look at it and I feel pretty comfortable taking her through the level 1 Fascial Stretch Therapy routine but I wanted to get your thought.

I don’t want to venture way outside of my scope or anything but I do feel comfortable with some massage techniques to release tension in the lower leg and I do feel okay with working on her so long as I am very careful about her ankle positioning.

I didn’t want to just jump the gun and say “YA I can help!” Without getting you guy’s thoughts.

 P.S.- she is a national level cheerleader and nationals is at the end of April.

 Answer: Unfortunately you left out some important info like:

- is the fracture healed, i.e. was it confirmed by x-ray?

- was it just a fracture? many times, ankle sprains are missed and may accompany this injury.

- how long was the client non-weight bearing? is there still atrophy evident and if so, where?

- is she also weak? where? etc.

My point is not to shake my finger at you here. I’m sure you did or will do proper assessments. The problem is when you seek my advice, it becomes more challenging when I have less to work with, if I am to give you a specific answer.

 That being said, if it’s healed then the bone is strong and will withstand Fascial Stretch Therapy with no problem. However, if your client also had a sprain, for example, then you must be careful of stressing/stretching the ankle ligaments, particularly in the glute series when you are strongly pressing against the foot/ankle. Just avoid inverting the ankle and stabilize then you should be fine.

If the fracture is incompletely healed then the glute series using her ankle is contraindicated, as well as any manuever that torques or otherwise stresses the fracture site. You may however do all other bent knee stretches, as long as you stay away from the ankle.

Naturally, you must assess gait, balance and functional strength, as she will obviously be proprioceptively deficient from the injury and weak after ankle immobilization and decreased activity. When ready you will need to assess skills related to cheerleading and give her plyometric, bounding and other activities to get her ready.

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.

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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 info@stretchtowin.com for more information.

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

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

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

As soon as I saw this question posted by one of my students on my Facebook page, my mind whirled in rewind mode, mentally trying to retrieve & recall past experiences with patients over my last 22 years as a physical therapist.

But first, for those unfamiliar with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), it is also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the famous baseball player who contracted it. Contemporaries may better recall the great physicist, Stephen Hawking, who has a motor neuron disease related to ALS.

ALS, is a disease of the nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. The neurons waste away or die, and can no longer send messages to muscles. This eventually leads to muscle weakening, twitching, and an inability to move the arms, legs, and body. The condition is progressive & slowly gets worse. When the muscles in the chest region stop working, it becomes hard or impossible to breathe on one’s own.

ALS affects approximately 5 out of every 100,000 people worldwide. In about 10% of cases, ALS is caused by a genetic defect. In the remaining cases, the cause is unknown (1).

If one would depend only on allopathic medicine, then the only treatment indicated, medication and palliative care, may help one slightly (if at all) endure the inevitable decline. But fortunately we live in an age of growing interest, acceptance and belief in alternative means, hence the popularity of fields such as Functional and Integrative or Complementary Medicine. This gives hope to those afflicted with ALS, especially since 90% of the cases are not genetic & of unknown cause.

Between my wife & I, we have successfully treated people with upper motor neuron disease & injury (stroke, multiple sclerosis, paraplegia, etc), as well as those with lower motor neuron diseases like polio with Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST).

ALS falls into both categories, so muscle twitching (fasciculations), cramping, paralysis & other problems combined with weakness, make it difficult to gauge or see satisfactory progress until at least 3 sessions are done (& it is often closer to 10).

Using PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) during stretching must be used judiciously if at all, as a person with ALS has abnormal reflexes, while PNF was originally developed for patients with polio (lower motor neuron) disease. People with upper motor neuron diseases respond very differently & in my experience, PNF does not work well with them. Amazingly, one patient I had that was born with cerebral palsy (an upper motor neuron disease) did very well with increased intensities & durations of passive stretching, especially when using FST technique & philosophy (e.g. traction-slow oscillation-circumduction).

• Precautions included but not limited to:
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Difficulty swallowing
    • Choking easily
    • Drooling
    • Gagging
  • Head drop due to weakness of the neck muscles

In summary, the best advice is to go slow, be ever mindful & present. Listen to the tissue & “give it what it asks for”. Be patient, keeping in mind fascial anatomy & physiology principles, but also being intuitively open to new experiences & possibilities, as you & your client travel the path of hope & transformation together.

By Chris Frederick, PT, Certified in KMI Structural Integration, Co-director of the Stretch to Win Institute

(PS – if any of you has any practical experience in successfully using therapy – whether it is manual, movement, nutritional or whatever – on people with ALS, then please feel free to add your comments here too, so we can do whatever we can to help these people have a better quality of life. Thanks.) 

References:

(1) Feldman EL. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron diseases. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap. 435.

LAIBILITY 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.

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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 info@stretchtowin.com for more information.

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

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

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

This title is from a FaceBook post by distinguished professor emeritus, osteopathic and naturopathic physician and prolific author, friend and colleague Leon Chaitow on Thursday, February 17, 2011. Here is his post, followed by my response:

This amazing story is a MUST read:

Bobby Mcguire is a competitive motocross racer who almost died in a crash in 2009 when he broke 76 bones in his body and was told by his doctors that he needed both legs amputated & would never walk again.

Our student and Level I Fascial Stretch Therapist, Adam Ster, made it his mission to help Bobby prove the doctors wrong. Here is the story of a miracle, right from Bobby’s keyboard:

My name is Bobby McGuire-
In June 2009 I crashed practicing motocross and cased (wrecked) doing a 100 ft double. I broke 76 bones in total. I crushed my L4, L5, S1, and S2 lower back vertebrae. I snapped my spine in half, broke my left rib cage and collapsed my left lung. I broke both my knees and legs, and crushed all the bones in both of my feet. I woke up 6 days later half way paralyzed. The doctors said I would never walk again. After the first 8 surgeries the doctors wanted to amputate my legs. I refused to believe that I would not walk again.

After 16 surgeries, physical therapists, and many other treatments I still was not on my feet. Since meeting Adam at Masterbodyworker, I have been standing and walking. Within two months Adam got me from being in a wheelchair and not even being able to bend my legs or feet, to standing and walking. Now, I am on my feet and have much more range in motion. Adam’s amazing stretch therapy and muscle treatment got me back on my feet. I feel progress after every session! My doctors are very surprised because they felt it would be at least a year before I could even stand. I plan on racing again before the second year anniversary is up thanks to Adam and all his help and support!

Bobby McGuire #127
Professional Motocross Racer
Las Vegas, NV

Here’s Adam’s contact info:

Masterbodyworker, LLC
6268 S. Rainbow Blvd.
Suite 105
Las Vegas, NV 89118
USA
(702) 280-7070
http://www.masterbodyworker.com
adam@masterbodyworker.com

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 http://www.stretchtowin.com/stretchtowininstitute, call 480-394-9121 or email us at info@stretchtowin.com for more information.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/StretchToWinInstitute  

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChrisAndAnn

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