Paula's Massage Therapy
1 Walpole St, Norwood, MA 02062
781-820-4412
In these stretching sessions, we work together to facilitate stretching your muscles. The practitioner provides just enough assistance to push slightly beyond what you can do on your own, without causing strain. The results are dramatic: within minutes, ROM of a joint can increase up to 60 degrees. Once you learn the exercises, you can do them on your own using a rope!
For these sessions, the client wears comfortable clothing in which they can attain full range of motion.
Assisted stretching may not be used on muscles that attach to joints which have been replaced.
Why Stretch?
Benefits of stretching
Increased range of motion and flexibility. Range of motion and flexibility go hand in hand. Having greater range of motion provides joints and the muscles supporting them greater flexibility and movement.
Improved circulation. Low-intensity stretching done routinely can increase blood flow to tissues and reduce blood pressure. The increase in circulation to muscles brings oxygen and nutrients to tissues and plays a role in decreasing muscle soreness post-workout.
Improved posture. Well-stretched clients will stand taller after stretching — or at least they will feel like they are. The act of lengthening muscles followed by a strengthening exercise program encourages proper alignment in the body and supports good posture.
Stress relief. Everyone has experienced tension in their body as a result of mental and emotional triggers. Our body reacts to stressors by contracting or tensing up. The longer tension remains in the body, the tighter the muscle tissues get.
Stretching also stimulates the body’s parasympathetic nervous system to release endorphins, our body’s feel-good hormones. As a result, many people feel calmer and have a clearer mind after stretching.
Pain relief. Stretching has been used among athletes and rehabilitation centers to alleviate pain caused by anything from sports injuries to car accidents. Restricted movement can cause pain, inhibit movement, and create stiffness and achiness in our bodies. Stretching has been found to counteract these effects.
Information taken from an article in Massage Magazine