Little Neck Chiropractic Describes Stretching

Stretching is an important, but an often-ignored piece of the overall health puzzle. Many people find stretching to be time consuming and boring, but it helps to prevent pain and maintain flexibility/range of motion of the body. We see many patients at our Little Neck chiropractic clinic who benefit their back pain, neck pain, or shoulder pain with a quality stretching routine.

IMPORTANT REASONS FOR STRETCHING

Perhaps the most important reason to incorporate regular stretching into your life is because it lengthens your muscles and increases flexibility. Many muscle tears and strains could be avoided if those muscles weren’t so short and tight. Additionally, stretching the larger muscles of your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves might even benefit your back pain. This is because when the leg muscles are tight, they might pull down on the low back, causing pain and dysfunction.

WHEN SHOULD I STRETCH?

This answer varies patient by patient. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and other factors, our answer to this question really depends on your individual case. A general rule of thumb for those not dealing with severe pain is that static stretching, or stretching performed without any bouncing or movement should be done before and after exercise to reduce your risk of injury.

STRETCHING TIPS AND TRICKS

You’re bound to pick up little bits of stretching advice here and there, but the main thing to remember is that it is supposed to feel good. If you get into a situation where stretching any muscle is causing pain, it’s best to stop and reconsider what you are doing. With proper treatment and proper stretching on your own time, you’ll be able to avoid injuries and keep all areas of your body feeling great.

At Care Chiropractic our team is here to help answer your questions.  Please feel free to contact us today.