GOOD STRETCHES TO DO

Step by step instructions

WRIST

• stand up an place your palms on a flat surface with the fingers pointing forward then lean forward keeping your hands flat. This is a general stretch for the lower arm muscles. Typing, writing, mousing, etc. tends to tighten these muscles. After 3 deep breaths turn you hand so the fingers point backwards and lean back. This takes in a few different muscles.
• to work the left elbow, reach across with the right hand thumb and locate the tender muscles at the outside of the elbow, below the joint. Use the thumb to work across the muscle. This is called transverse friction massage. This muscle group may be brilliantly tender. At home this muscle can be worked on with a bit of “Sombra” or “Tiger Balm” or another muscle rub to help relax the muscles.
• repeat on the right elbow using the left thumb.
• A second group of muscles is worked at this time between the arm bones. To work on the left arm reach across with the right thumb directly between the lower arm bones below the elbow joint. Work this muscle by moving your thumb in a slight up and down direction the arm. Repeat on the right side using the left thumb.

  These muscles have a very large association with people with wrist or hand problems. MANY people note a marked decrease in pain and inflammation in the wrist, fingers and arms when these muscles at the elbow are worked on. These results are achieved even though the person continues at their current occupation load!

SHOULDERS

1. Stand up and lock your fingers behind your back. Allow your shoulders to drop back and down and hold for 3 deep breaths. Dropping your chin can increase the stretch. This can be done sitting but standing is a nice change of position. This combined position helps to relax what is referred to the “Tension Triangle”...Like the Bermuda triangle...Stress goes in but doesn't come out!

   The “Tension Triangle” is made of three muscle groups: the trapezius which helps to raise the shoulders, the Scalene muscles which help to raise the rib cage and the Levator Scapulae which raises the scapula or the shoulder blades.

   When we are under stress the natural tendency is to raise our shoulders. Stop right now take a deep breath and let you shoulders drop. Did you notice how far they could move? We raise our shoulders by contracting those muscles without ever realizing it. This stretch helps to counter act this reaction. As a side benefit it also stretches the pectoralis muscles which often pull the shoulders forward and round the shoulders over.

2. Reach one arm over your head and bend the elbow. Now, with the other arm reach up and pull the elbow gently across and behind the head. (insert picture) Hold for 3 deep breaths. This helps to stretch to muscles attached to the shoulder blade.

   Repeat for the other side.

NECK

1. Tuck your chin down into your chest and relax while taking 3 deep breaths. Tilt the head back and take 3 deep breaths. Tilt your head to the side and take 3 deep breaths and tilt your head to the other side and three deep breaths. These stretches help counteract the downward tilt of the head looking at the computer screen and the side tilt of holding the phone to the shoulder.
2. While sitting, let the arms and torso drop between the legs and take three deep breaths. This helps give the long spinal muscles a stretch and increase blood to the brain.
3. Hold the edge of the chair and side tilt. Hold 3 deep breaths repeat to the opposite side. This gives the lateral torso a good stretch as well as the shoulder “tension Triangle” and the neck spine.

For the lower legs do 15 rocking motions heel to toe and curl the toes. aka “Foot Rock” Moving the feet and curling the toes helps to move blood out of the lower extremity by contracting muscles.

Side note: The blood returns to the heart by the muscles around the veins contracting and squeezing the blood along. like squeezing the sides of the toothpaste tube to squeeze the paste out the end. Arteries have muscles right in the vessel walls that can constrict and expand. Veins do not. So sitting for long periods with your legs relatively passive can lead to blood pooling in the lower extremity and can be one of the contributing factors to varicose veins. (for more information see CIRCULATION)

PSOAS STRETCH
These stretches need to be done specifically for the best results. *Specific trigger point therapy by a licensed massage therapist or chiropractor trained in psoas release might be necessary to further work this muscle.

*Dr. Ross has a training video available to further train professionals in specifically working on this key, but often overlooked, muscle.

From a standing position:

1. slightly scissor your feet apart.
2. lunge/lean into the forward knee
3. slightly lean back.
4. hold this position for 3 deep breaths
5. switch legs and repeat

If the muscle is tight you should feel a pull in the front part of the hip just below the point of the hip in front. as you breath you will find yourself able to slowly drift down with the stretch. If you feel the pull more in the low back, stop, reposition, and try again. If it persists your position is incorrect or you might have a spinal alignment problem. consultation with a trained professional may be required. If you feel nothing at all it probably indicates that the muscle is relaxing well.

As long as your knees don’t bother you, the best way to do this stretch is to kneel down with one leg perpendicular to the floor. The position resembles the position of proposing to someone. From this position, the hip on the side of the knee on the floor should be dropped toward the heel of the foot that is resting on the floor. It is imperative to keep a good upright posture and not to lean the torso(the upper body) into the stretch or to lean back. The posture of these stretches is vital to getting a proper stretch of the psoas muscle.

LONG SPINAL STRETCH:
Lie on your back on the floor and do a “cross over stretch”. Draw one knee up into the chest toward the opposite shoulder, hold for 3 deep breaths then allow the bent knee to fall across the body. (insert picture here) Keeping the shoulders on the floor try to allow the bent knee to fall across the body and touch the floor. With each breath you will probably notice the knee getting closer to the floor. Repeat this for the other side. Remember not to force any of these motions but use gravity and allow the body a chance to relax at its own pace.

DEEP GLUTEAL STRETCH (“SCIATIC NERVE STRETCH”)
While lying on your back with the knee drawn up toward the opposite shoulder, reach down and pull the ankle toward the opposite hip .

This will create a pull deep in the gluteal (butt) muscles at the “piriformis” muscle. The sciatic nerve passes over or under (and even rarely right through) this muscle. If it is tight or in spasm it can create sciatic nerve pain.

This stretch is great to start the day. It is a nice way to unwind and rejuvenate after you have been sitting for long periods. It usually helps to combat that “scrunched” or “compressed” feeling when combined with the long spinal stretch.

FOR FRONT OF THE LEGS
Stand up. hold onto a desk, chair, or a wall for support and bring the foot up behind the back. If you are stretching the right leg reach down with the left arm to do this stretch. By doing this you will take some strain off the knee. This stretches the “quads” (muscles on the front of the leg). Hold for 3 deep breaths and repeat for the other leg.

FOR THE BACK OF THE LEGS
Stand up. Cross one foot over the other then bend down to touch your toes. This will stretch the “hamstrings” (muscles on the back of the leg) and also works to give a long stretch through the spine. hold this position for 3 deep breaths.

FACE
*These can be done throughout the day to counteract the natural tendency to “scrunch” our faces with stress. Another tendency with stress and difficulties is to clench our teeth. This tightens the temporalis muscles and the pterigoid muscles among others. This action can often be the source of tension headaches. These muscles close the jaw so to stretch them simply open the mouth wide and hold it for 3 deep breaths.

The biggest battle here is to consciously NOT clench our teeth under stress.

* A light massage along where the temporalis muscle inserts onto the skull will often help headaches immediately. Stopping onto of very tight muscles to apply additional pressure it also very helpful.

Many muscles for neck motion have their origin for the back of the skull or onto the top two vertebra in the spine. Holding deep pressure into those muscles can often times relieve the tension type headaches that are so prevalent. A recent discovery of a new muscle at the back of the skull that attaches to the Dura (surrounding around the spinal chord) gives new light on why tension can effect and create headaches.