Do you want to feel more flexible, improve your mobility, and ultimately improve performance? Then stretch therapy may be right for you.  Stretch therapy is a type of myofascial work. Stretch therapy is similar to the flexibility exercises you can perform by yourself but through the use of a clinician your are assisted with the stretch. During stretch therapy a clinician will take you through various positions that elongate your muscles and ultimately help them to relax. While stretch therapy sessions can be focused on just one area of the body it is common for a whole body approach to be used.  During the movement you will feel a stretching sensation similar to what you would experience on your own but when done with a clinician it allows you to relax more and go into positions you otherwise would not be able to.

This helps to maintain or improve overall mobility. Improving your mobility can have direct effects on your daily activities or sports performance. Whether you’re an athlete preparing for your sport or you’re an average Joe just trying to stay in shape and out of pain assisted stretching can help you. At Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation we provide assisted stretching to patients in the Fox Chapel and greater Pittsburgh area.

Assisted stretching is a therapy that helps maintain, and improve flexibility. Flexibility is an important component to our overall functional abilities. Flexibility is thought to reduce the risk of injury, allow us to perform certain activities, and possibly enhance athletic skills. Assisted stretching is a therapy where a patient is taken into a normal stretch and then a qualified practitioner applies a gentle but firm force to the stretch. This provides a great range of motion after the stretch and can often help with stiffness and pain. You may have seen trainers performing this type of therapy to athletes on the sidelines of a sporting event. At Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation we provide this therapy to both athletes and non-athletes alike in the Fox Chapel and greater Pittsburgh area.

Assisted stretching is a generic term for what those in the rehabilitation and exercises world call Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation or PNF for short. PNF stretching causes muscular inhibition to allow the muscle to stretch farther and improve range of motion better than a normal stretch. PNF stretching can cause autogenic and reciprocal inhibition of muscles. What this means is that when contracting a muscle and stretching it at the same time the muscle is able to relax more than it normally would. Then when you contract the biomechanically opposite muscle the muscle being stretched is able to relax even further due to a neurologic feedback loop (Jeffreys, 2016). Use of these mechanisms allow us to improve range of motion, for patients in the Fox Chapel and greater Pittsburgh area, more than stretching alone normally would.

Most of the time assisted stretch therapy is performed by personal trainers or massage therapists, at Tauberg Chiropractic & Rehabilitation you will be treated by Dr. Tauberg. Dr. Tauberg has advanced training in soft tissue work is a Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner and a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. He has worked with all level of athletes. Being treated by a highly trained professional ensures that you are receiving the right care, are provided the right stretches, and reduces the risks. This allows you to receive the best care possible so that you can feel like your optimal self.

If you are interested in  learning more about assisted stretching please give us a call at 412-517-8124 or schedule a call with Dr.Tauberg below.

Works Cited

Jeffreys, I. (2016). Warm-Up and Flexibility Training. In Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (pp. 324-328). Champaign: Human Kinetics .