Anatomical Stretch:
- Thoracic & Lumbar Spinal Joints (inc. Spinal Facet Joints)
- Spinal Soft Tissues (e.g. Ligaments, Joint Capsules, Muscles & Tendons)
- Anterior Abdominal Wall Muscles (External Intercostal, Internal Intercostal, Transversus Abdominis, External Oblique, Internal Oblique, Psoas Minor, Psoas Major, Iliacus & Rectus Abdominis)
Method:
Lie face down on the ground. Place your hands next to your shoulders and push yourself up until your arms are straight. Keep your hips on the ground and look straight forwards. As a regression, place your elbows and forearms on the floor and arch your back up maintaining contact on the floor with your elbows and forearms.
Physiotherapy, Injury Prevention & Fitness Recommendations:
- Avoid bouncing when the muscle is cold
- Stop if the stretch causes pain
- Perform the stretch in a safe environment to avoid the risk of a fall or injury
- Recommended stretch for use within a warm-up & cool down
- As instructed by a skilled physiotherapist, the stretch is beneficial for injury prevention, to aid recovery from specific injuries, enhancement of the injury healing process, elongates tight muscles, reduces soft tissue tightness and alleviates joint stiffness.
- This stretch may be useful for abdominal muscle strains & hip flexor strains
- The stretch may be recommended in conjunction with the treatment of low back pain or stiffness
Please feel free to contact the Manchester G4 Clinic to speak to a member of the team for any questions that you may have.