Stretches for side of neck	Stretches side of neck	Stretches back of neck
Stretches side of shoulder and back of upper arm	Stretches shoulder, middle back, arms, hands, fingers, wrist

Stretching is an activity that improves muscle flexibility. It is as essential a principle as a warm up and a cool down before and after sporting activity. Stretching or increasing flexibility can and will also decrease the risk of injury and promote recovery following training and matches.


The Science of Stretching

All soft tissues (muscles, tendon, joint capsules, fascia and skin) can be subjected to and are more responsive to stretch when they are warm. They are said to have thermo-elastic properties and this varies depending on the amount of elastic fibres present in each tissue.

It can therefore easily be deduced that for stretching to be effective, all stretching should be preceded by a series of warm up exercises to increase tissue temperature.

The body uses a relay system between muscles, tendons and the brain that reflexively prevents overstretching and stretch damage. If a stretch is sustained for about 6 seconds, changes occur within a muscle that causes it to relax in response to the initial tension placed on it. Stretching exercises should be done slowly with a gradual increase in range of movement every few seconds; that is, slow sustained stretches with no bouncing is advisable. The total duration of a stretch should be 10-20 seconds.


The Art of Stretching

There are several methods or techniques of stretching soft tissues. PASSIVE stretching is for instance, when a player is injured and a physiotherapist does the stretching for him. ACTIVE stretching is for instance in a pre-match setting the players themselves perform the stretches.

This requires relaxation and sustained stretching of a muscle. The degree of stretching can be sub-divided as follows:

• Simple stretch
• Developmental stretch
• Drastic stretch

SIMPLE STRETCH
A simple stretch is used in the rehabilitation of an injured players rather than fit players. The player should feel just a mild tension in the muscle and this is held for 10-20 seconds.

DEVELOPMENTAL STRETCH
This follows on from a simple stretch in that as you ease into the stretch moving over a greater range of movement, more tension builds in the muscle. This tension should disappear after about 15 seconds. If it does not, then the player has moved into a drastic stretch range and should ease off. The stretch should be held for 20-30 seconds.

A DRASTIC STRETCH gives a constant feeling of pain and SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
This sensation is often wrongly interpreted by the player as being beneficial. However, pain is a warning that the tissues are being over stretched. This type of stretch causes micro-trauma to muscle tissue; which leads to a gradual loss of elasticity and increase the risk of muscle injury.


Stretching Exercises

Before getting into the exercises here is a reminder of the principles of:

WARM-UPS - consisting of stretching and flexibility exercises should be performed for a minimum of 5-7 minutes before any exercise. The purpose of warm-ups includes: keeping muscles supple, increasing range of motion of joints, enhancing flexibility, improving coordination, increasing body temperature and heart rate, increasing blood flow to muscles and preventing injuries.

COOL-DOWNS- consisting of slow walking and stretching, are performed after exercise for a period of 5-7 minutes. The purpose of cool-downs is to gradually return your heart rate and blood pressure to resting or pre-exercise levels.

Recall that the right way to stretch is slow and relaxed. DO NOT BOUNCE. This can actually cause you to pull the muscle you are trying to stretch. You should stretch to the point of “MILD TENSION”. If you overstretch you will also cause damage. Back off if the stretch feels painful. Hold the stretch for a minimum of 15 seconds each, without bouncing. BREATHE slowly and naturally. Do not hold your breathe while stretching. Relax the stretch. Stretch one or two more times with each stretch. Try to stretch a little further with each stretch; again, only to the point of mild tension.

For this week, here are some basic stretches for the neck and upper limb.

Stretches for side of neck:
1. Sit or stand with arms hanging loosely at sides
2. Turn head to one side, then the other
3. Hold for 5 seconds, each side. Repeat 1 to 3 times

Stretches side of neck
1. Sit or stand with arms hanging loosely at sides
2. Tilt head sideways, first one side then the other
3. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 1-3 times

Stretches back of neck
1. Sit or stand with arms hanging loosely at sides
2. Gently tilt head forward to stretch back of neck
3. Hold 5 seconds. Repeat 1-3 times

Stretches side of shoulder and back of upper arm
1. Stand or sit and place right hand on left shoulder
2. With left hand, pull right elbow across chest toward left shoulder and hold 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side

Stretches shoulder, middle back, arms, hands, fingers, wrist
1. Interlace fingers and turn palms out
2. Extend arms in front at shoulder height.
3. Hold 10 to 20 seconds, relax, and repeat

Stretches triceps, top of shoulders, waist
1. Keep knees slightly flexed
2. Stand or sit with arms overhead
3. Hold elbow with hand of opposite arm
4. Pull elbow behind head gently as you slowly lean to side until mild stretch is felt
5. Hold 10 to 15 sec. Repeat on other side

(continued next week with stretches for the back and lower limb.)

Pier Ann Brown
Registered Physiotherapist.