Assisted Stretching

Does Every Body Good

Sponsored by: A Massage Therapist’s Guide

to Assisted Stretching
 Assisted Stretching—also sometimes called
Assisted Myofascial Neuromuscular Therapy
or Assisted Myofascial Stretch Therapy—is
a bodywork modality that allows a trained
therapist to apply range-of-motion movements
to the body on a massage table, with the spine
in a safe and supported position.

The therapist is able to move the body into

positions that break through hard fascia
barriers that may have resulted from injury or a
sedentary lifestyle, to gain flexibility and range
of motion that would be impossible without
expert intervention.

Benefits from assisted stretching include: increasing

flexibility, blood circulation & range of motion, boosting
energy levels, lowering stress levels, and decreasing pain,
stiffness & risk of injury.

Why Stretch?
Stretching as a healing technique is certainly not a new concept, as most people will agree it is
good for the body to stretch—whether to avoid injury as an athlete, or to retain mobility as we age.

Stretch therapy allows a trained professional to identify each unique body’s limitations in a
safe and relaxed position, and work on strengthening problem areas to ensure movement that
happens off the table—be it yoga, running, walking or picking up a grandchild—can be done
without causing further damage or pain.

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 Each body is different, as is each person’s therapeutic
Stretching goal. For this reason, every stretching style and modality
is valuable, and any combination of techniques may be
Techniques appropriate for each individual session.

There are several techniques therapists can use during an assisted stretching session:

Resistance Stretching Active Stretching

Developed in the 1980s by Bob Cooley, this is an Developed by Charles Sherrington in 1904, requires
excellent option for joint rehabilitation, children the muscle opposite the one being stretched be
experiencing growth spurts, and inactive or contracted throughout the stretch. For example,
elderly clients. Since it is geared toward less if the hamstring is being stretched, the client
supple tissue, it is critical to support unstable would contract his or her quadriceps as the leg is
joints by keeping them contracted during each guided upward. This greatly benefits an individual
movement. This technique requires the client to with an area that is tight due to an imbalance in
resist up to 10% to 50% throughout the back-and- the opposing muscles. Essentially, when a muscle
forth stretching motion, which is applied deeper has stopped firing and is not working with the
each time. antagonist muscle, causing pain, this technique
wakes up the non-functioning area and relieves the
imbalance and pain.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Passive Stretching

Also called Passive/Contract, developed by Exactly like it sounds, the body is relaxed while
Herman Kabat in the 1940s, involves both the being stretched. While most effective when
stretching and contraction of the targeted done by a trained therapist, a yawning, full-
muscle. This combination allows the body to gain body stretch done first thing in the morning as
mobility without forcing a stretch beyond the level we awaken is a form of passive stretching, and
of comfort. To apply this method, a client presses in any scenario this type of stretching releases
back into the therapist to stretch the area, holding endorphins and relaxes the mind and body.
the stretch for up to 10 to 30 seconds, thus safely
elongating the tissue without injury.

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Which Type of Assisted Stretching
Should You Use?
A client may have sustained stretching will improve mobility, professionally stretched, however,
injuries in the past, and be while also decreasing pain. relieved my pain naturally, and
dealing with hard fascial tissue, gave me my life back.
Studies have shown that
scar tissue. This person would
most body pain is associated By offering assisted stretching
certainly benefit from an active
with muscle imbalance. to my clients, I quickly tripled
resistance stretch with added
Having the expertise to assess my income. As with massage,
hard fascial release tools. A ballet
which muscles are tight versus consistent treatment is the
dancer with exceptional mobility
weak, and focusing on the most effective, and the results
might be faced with unstable
correct body part is critical of this modality keep them
joints, so both active and full-
to being an effective stretch coming back regularly. Adding
range resistant stretching
and massage therapist. stretching to the treatment
would increase strength
plan enhances massage
without pulling on vulnerable As a person who personally
therapists’ ability to offer a
joints, aiding in stronger and experienced excruciating pain
highly effective, individualized
more fluid movement. due to bulging discs, I was faced
approach that sets them apart
with medication and surgery
When applied correctly and in the from other practitioners.
as my only options. Being
right areas, all forms of assisted

As a massage therapist with knowledge of anatomy and

hands-on skills, you are in the right position to step in and
incorporate stretching into your practice or offer one of the
many types of stretching as a stand-alone service.

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Stretching As
We Age
Older adults may need to stretch longer
Essentially, aging muscle tissue
than the recommended 15 to 30 seconds.
takes on a beef-jerky consistency,
which leads to a slew of issues. As the 60-second holds of static stretches were
functionality of joints and muscles is associated with greater improvements in
directly linked to the condition of the hamstring flexibility in older adults compared
fascia, when they become inflamed to shorter duration holds.
more hard fascia results and tugs
on other body parts. Each area of
tightness restricts motion, blood flow
and oxygen to the healthy tissue, thus
causing systemic alignment issues.

By stretching, healthy blood and

oxygen floods back to hardened
tissue and allows it to become fluid,
hydrated and mobile again. This
benefits every part of the body and
cannot be achieved by exercise alone.
Common complaints as we age, such
as stiff joints, tight muscles and body
aches can be reversed or avoided
when stretching is done consistently.

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 Assisted Stretching and
Sedentary Lifestyles
In addition to symptoms associated with aging, we
are faced today with primarily sedentary lifestyles,
and surrounded by technology that has the body in
a constant state of misalignment, whether we are
hunched over a laptop computer, a smartphone or a
tablet. Even when we relax,
we tend to be staring down at a screen.

In fact, a research report by International Data

Corporation and Facebook, “Always Connected,”
reports 79% of people ages 18 to 44 have cellphones
with them almost all the time—with only two hours of
the waking day spent without it. This has led doctors to
coin the term “text neck” for patients presenting with
pain due to technology overuse.

With so many factors working against keeping our

bodies aligned and flexible, it’s no wonder the demand
for stretching has increased.

Benefits of
Assisted Stretching
Stretching is often effective for pain, both in muscle
and its surrounding fascia, and also improves posture
and mobility. With people living and working longer,
there is a need for treatment options outside the typical
Assisted stretching can
approach of medication and surgery.
provide a reliable new
stream of income, build By encouraging stretch therapy, massage therapists can
your clientele and take play a proactive role in keeping clients feeling youthful
pressure off your hands. and enjoying quality of life. With the right interventions,
lack of mobility, body pain and decreased range of
motion don’t have to be part of aging.

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 Liability Insurance for
Assisted Stretching
Did you know assisted stretching is one of the 450+
modalities that Massage Magazine Insurance Plus
(MMIP) automatically covers? Learn more about the
benefits of getting insured with MMIP and save $20
on 1-year of coverage here.

About the Author:

Loretta McGrath is an entrepreneur specializing in health care

and wellness with over 20 years of experience. She has created
multiple health IT software systems focusing on range of motion,
assisted stretching and body mechanics. She is the creator of an
assisted myofascial range of motion technique called Dynamic
Body Stretching, and the author of Body Alignment for Life.

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