Most people these days know of the benefits of stretching. Even as children we are taught to stretch a bit and warm up before physical activity or face the danger of injury. Coaches and physical therapists alike generally have a good handful of stretching techniques, and I remember that in martial arts like Aikido we would spend at least 15 minutes stretching and warming up before we began doing anything else. The wide variety of stretches we have had traditionally in the west is greatly overshadowed by what has come to us from yoga, both the very old and traditional, and the many varieties of yoga that are currently being developed. Both the old and the new are very popular so people must really be getting something from them. There are now clinics like Stretch Lab that you can go to and pay other people to stretch you, not a new idea but new as a business model in America. All this being said, what if sometimes stretching particular areas of the body does not appear to be helping, and what if it even appears to be making things worse? I can give you some reasons below.
The Muscles Could be Inflamed
As many of my clients have heard me say time and time again, you will likely do nothing but harm stretching a freshly pulled muscle. If the pain you are experiencing is acute rather than chronic, and you are getting a sharp stabbing pain, it is probably inflamed and the best rule of thumb is rest and ice to take the inflammation down. Stretching a freshly inflamed muscle will merely prolong the inflammation and possibly further create micro tears that will take longer to heal. The best time to stretch a muscle is when you experience chronic stiffness and discomfort that has not occurred with a fresh injury, and an acute injury needs at least a few days to a week before stretching it will be helpful. So have some patience, and as mother used to say "Don't Pick at it!"
Short and Tight or Long and Tight?
Realizing you have hypertonic or tight muscles is one thing, and it is logical to think that stretching it would be the solution, but one must question if the muscle or muscle group is short and tight or long and tight. If a muscle is contracted that means it is shorter than usual, and is probably tight, but what if the opposite is true? If a muscle is lengthened to its max it will also be tight, but stretching it more is just going to put unnecessary strain on it and is liable to result in inflammation and even injury. This can even impinge nerves and aeries. If the muscle is long and tight we need to figure out what elements of your structure, posture and movement are causing it to be long and tight. Outward rotated legs, anterior/posterior pelvic tilt, shoulders Rolled forward, etc. It is a Rolfer's job to find and correct this issues so that various muscle groups don't have to work so hard and have time to heal. As a massage therapist I used to think when people had a problem it was because they have tight muscles, now I know that they have tight muscles because they have a problem!
To Gain Flexibility you Loose Stability
This is a well known issue to all Rolfers. Everyone wants to be flexible, but some muscle groups need to be tight enough to stabilize joints and hold us upright. This is also true if the body is trying to protect and injury. One might get instantaneous relief from stretching out a certain muscle group and then find that their knee or back goes out when they are walking around later. This can happen through myofascial work as well, so it is a good idea to check in with your Rolfer about things that go out after a session, as loosening things that are tight and glued together can cause other things to go out. This is why we like to approach Rolfing as a series so we can address the new strain patterns that arise as we go.
You may be Impinging Something
As mentioned above, stretching a muscle across a nerve or artery could potentially impinge that nerve or artery, if it gets pressed up against bone. In addition to the potential danger of getting impinged, arteries and nerves have sheaths with receptors that monitor the artery or nerve being stretched. Most often there is enough give in the soft tissue around it to not over stretch the artery or nerve, but when this is not the case the sheath can send out a signal to immobilize the area to protect those valuable vessels from being overstretched. If this occurs it can completely lock up or shoulder, hip or really any structure in the body where potential danger to an important vessel is detected, and continuing to aggressively stretch that area can just make it worse.
So at the end of the day, stretching or no stretching? If you like stretching and feel it is helpful, then do it mindfully. You don't always need to take everything to the max. If you have an area that is totally locked up and won't let go, try gentle slow stretches, so the nervous system does not get alarmed over possible injury to nerves and arteries. If you stretch out an area and it simply goes back to being tight again afterwards, there may be a reason for it. Try stretching out the opposite muscle groups, or better yet, see a Rolfer to help align your posture from head to toe. If certain muscles need to hang on just to keep you upright, no amount of stretching is going to keep them loose. We ultimately need to think of the big picture, how do I stand, walk, and sit, from head to toe. This is the big question that we consider as Rolfers, I hope that more people will consider this question too.
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