Remember the old "hurdler's stretch" and "cross your legs and touch your toes" stretches which were popular back in the day and these were the stretches we did in High School and these were good standard stretches that everyone did and I know some who still use them. We know now that in addition to being relatively ineffective, they also may be very harmful. Similarly in strength training the behind the head pull down as well as the shrug and 2 dumbbell side bend which can wreck your neck and back are no longer encouraged in the gym or training program.

The hurdler's stretch causes significant twisting to the lumbar spine and the sacroiliac joint, which actually might cause more stress on the hamstrings. This stretch is supposed to help, but could actually hurt the very area being addressed. Additionally, the stretch puts unhealthy stress on the medial collateral ligament in the knee that is tucked back during the stretch. The cross your legs and touch your toes stretch puts unhealthy stress on the lateral collateral ligament bilaterally. Thankfully, fitness trainers have since removed these stretches from the books, and I believe their use are being discontinued altogether.

While working with athletic/sports injuries, I have developed a number of reservations about traditional  stretching as a whole. Much of my philosophy comes from my emphasis on addressing trigger points, myofascial release and the benefits of Neuromuscular Therapy for chronic pain management and sports injuries. We know from studies that stretching without deactivating the trigger points or releasing the contracted muscles in treating an injury can cause more harm than good. In my opinion, if we are addressing the trigger points properly, combined with other techniques in treating the attachments and stripping and cross-fiber friction on the muscles, there shouldn't be a real need for traditional long hold stretching. Active Isolated stretching developed by Aaron Mattes which emphasizes short 2-3 second hold seem to be the most beneficial sports stretch after proper therapeutic muscle manipulation and therapy.

We're going right to the core of the issue when we address the tissue this way, potentially bringing about substantial therapeutic change. For this reason, I almost never use traditional stretching exercises as part of my treatment protocols, in part because I feel it's redundant if we're addressing the tissue comprehensively in this manner. I also will often recommend that my clients not stretch at all following treatment in order to let the tissue rest and acclimate to the treatment performed. Only after muscular reintegration and efficient biomechanics have been restored will I recommend a stretching program from a qualified fitness professional.

I often receive clients who present with hip pain or quad tightness or perhaps a bicep strain or neck and shoulder injury and they tell me they have been trying to stretch it out but have not gotten any better. Here is where I explain that stretching an injured muscle or tendon or ligament or tight fascial component can actually signal the brain to tell the muscle it is being injured further and therefore tighten even more. Basically do not try and stretch an injured, contracted muscle. I treat the injured area until the trigger points are cleared  and then encouraged them to rest for a few days and not stretch. Within a few days and maybe another follow up treatment some slow stretching with short duration would be the most beneficial and then a return to the sport would be quicker and the chances of re-injury diminished.

So take your time and warm up properly before participating in any activity. Sometimes just a short jog followed by a few light sprints is enough to prepare the body for activity without stretching. Seek out trainers who understand injury and pain management and understand that sometimes less is best and no pain, more gain works too!

Remember the effectiveness of Neuromuscular Therapy lies in the efficiency of the therapist, the thoroughness of the exam and the precision of determining the muscles in dysfunction.

Robert Bonavolta is a licensed massage therapist specializing in Neuromuscular Therapy focusing on chronic pain management and sports injuries. He is also an AFAA certified personal trainer, 2002 Olympic Sports Massage Thearpist and a certified Spinning instructor and more recently received his EMT certification as well. For more information and to schedule an appointment call the Montauk Wellness Center at 631-668-0300 or visit the office at 6 South Elmwood Ave. along with Maureen Jacob, LE offering customized corrective skin care, ultrasonic facials, seasonal organic facials, waxing, spray tanning, massage and professional skincare products. Visit us at  www.montaukwellnesscenter.com