For a long time, the fitness community has focused on training harder, pushing more weight, higher-intensity workouts, and running faster and further—but the tide is turning.

People are starting to realize that if they want to keep doing their favorite workouts, they need to take their recovery and longevity seriously. That’s where stretch therapy comes in.

What is Stretch Therapy?

Stretch therapy is the scientific application of specific techniques to treat certain physical conditions associated with tight muscles and restricted joints. When performed properly, stretch therapy can help reduce and prevent injuries and improve performance.

Most stretching protocols are primarily aimed at increasing the range of motion of a joint, and the overall goal is to improve movement patterns involving that joint and increase free movement.

Stretch therapy can be categorized into four types:

• foam rolling, lacrosse ball massage, and other self-massage techniques
• passive stretching
• active or dynamic stretching
• partner assisted stretching

Foam Rolling, Self-Massage Techniques

While more research is required, multiple studies suggest that foam rolling and similar massage techniques improve range of motion and reduce muscle stiffness. Additionally, research suggests that foam rolling may enhance post-workout recovery^1,2.

While applying these techniques, you will likely find so-called “trigger points,” where the muscle is especially tender. These are the locations where you want to apply the pressure³.

Passive Stretching

In passive stretching (like Thai massage, FST), the therapist will take you through the stretch and hold it towards your end range of motion while encouraging you relax and breathe. This type of stretch involves stretching your muscle to the point of mild discomfort and holding the stretch for 20–30 seconds or more.

A large body of research shows that passive stretching techniques improve the range of motion in associated joints⁴.

Passive Stretching can reduce tightness or restrictions in specific joints that limit your overall movement.

Dynamic or Active Stretching

Dynamic, or active, stretching techniques involve moving a joint through a range of motion, with the goal of increasing the range through repetition. Typically, you’ll perform multiple repetitions of each active stretch and the range of motion is increased each time.

Active stretches are beneficial for warming up before traditional strength and fitness training sessions.

Partner Assisted Stretching

In assisted stretching, the therapist will request your help with contracting the muscles to be stretched and gradually take it a little beyond the previously identified end range in a series of contract and stretch sequences (commonly known as PNF). This is similar to the technique that professional athletes use with each other while warming up on the field.

PNF techniques rely on creating tension in your muscles before relaxing into the stretch, which ultimately facilitates a deeper stretch and greater improvement in your range of motion.

Short-term vs. Long-term Effects

Flexibility gains from stretch therapy vary in duration, encompassing short-term and long-term effects. Following a stretch session, there’s an immediate boost in the range of motion, offering quick benefits for the next workout. However, this short-term improvement is transient and fades if stretch therapy is neglected.

For lasting results, a consistent practice of stretch therapy, ideally two to three times weekly, is crucial. Over time, connective tissues and muscle length adapt, establishing long-lasting enhancements in flexibility.

Achieving enduring benefits is the ultimate aim of stretch therapy. This requires a steadfast commitment to the stretching routine for meaningful and sustained progress.

Benefits of Stretch Therapy

Regardless of your fitness goals, age, or overall lifestyle, stretch therapy techniques are likely to increase your range of motion, improve your performance, and reduce your overall risk of injury.

For athletes and weekend warriors, increased flexibility improves performance and reduces soft-tissue injuries such as muscle and tendon strains. It also reduces recovery time, fatigue, and delayed-onset muscle soreness. According to the Mayo Clinic, stretching, assisted or passive, improves flexibility, which in turn:

• Improves performance in physical activities
• Decreases risk of injuries
• Helps joints move through their full range of motion
• Increases muscle blood flow
• Enables muscles to work most effectively
• Improves the ability to do daily activities

Assisted stretching can benefit virtually any client cohort. One study⁵ published in Clinical Interventions in Aging, indicated that an eight-week course of assisted stretching effectively reduced age-related losses in ROM and improved functional performance in elderly persons with insufficient physical reserves to perform higher-intensity exercises.

Additional research found that younger athletes who perform proper stretch therapy techniques can reduce their risk of non-contact injury during training and competition⁶.

That said, individual responses to stretching vary, and your specific athletic and medical history may affect the result of a specific stretching method⁴.

At Toronto Massage Therapy, Abhi Durge, RMT offers standalone stretching appointments for passive stretching (similar to Thai Massage and Fascial Stretch Therapy, FST), assisted stretching, or combines it with regular Swedish massage treatments to bring more effective results.

Are you ready to unlock a world of flexibility and well-being? Book your appointment today!

References:

1. Kiyono, Ryosuke¹; Onuma, Remi²; Yasaka, Koki²; Sato, Shigeru¹; Yahata, Kaoru¹; Nakamura, Masatoshi^1,2. Effects of 5-Week Foam Rolling Intervention on Range of Motion and Muscle Stiffness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 36(7):p 1890-1895, July 2022. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003757
2. D’Amico, Anthony P; Gillis, Jason. Influence of Foam Rolling on Recovery From Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 33(9):p 2443-2452, September 2019. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002240
3. Behm, David G.1; Alizadeh, Shahab1; Hadjizadeh Anvar, Saman1,2; Mahmoud, Mohamed Mamdouh Ibrahim1; Ramsay, Emma1; Hanlon, Courtney1; Cheatham, Scott3. Foam Rolling Prescription: A Clinical Commentary. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 34(11):p 3301-3308, November 2020. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003765
4. Page P. Current concepts in muscle stretching for exercise and rehabilitation. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2012 Feb;7(1):109-19. PMID: 22319684; PMCID: PMC3273886.
5. Stanziano DC, Roos BA, Perry AC, Lai S, Signorile JF. The effects of an active-assisted stretching program on functional performance in elderly persons: a pilot study. Clin Interv Aging. 2009;4():115-20. doi: 10.2147/cia.s4152. Epub 2009 May 14. PMID: 19503774; PMCID: PMC2685233.
6. Azuma N, Someya F. Injury prevention effects of stretching exercise intervention by physical therapists in male high school soccer players. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2020 Nov;30(11):2178-2192. doi: 10.1111/sms.13777. Epub 2020 Aug 2. PMID: 33463794.