When you’re suffering from chronic back pain, you may also have limited tolerance for exercise and movement. While self-performed traditional stretching may be possible, it might not be comfortable, and flexibility limitations may reduce the benefits you might otherwise achieve.
Choosing assisted stretching may be the difference you need to not only relieve discomfort and pain but to also improve your physical condition overall when it comes to ongoing chronic pain issues. The musculoskeletal professionals at Active Care Chiropractic & Rehabilitation in Lafayette Hill, the Main Line, East Falls, Elkins Park, Manayunk and Hatfield, Pennsylvania, frequently recommend assisted stretching as a complementary therapy to chiropractic adjustments and as a modality in its own right.
Let’s take a closer look at both traditional and assisted stretching, so you understand the difference between the two.
This is the kind of stretching you can do yourself when you feel muscle tightness or when you want to loosen up prior to an activity. Common traditional stretches include:
These and other traditional stretches are easy to do and give you control over the intensity. You can use traditional stretching to extend the benefit of a chiropractic or physical therapy session between visits.
However, it’s often tough to maintain positioning and technique if you’re dealing with active back pain. You might compensate by using other joints and muscles, which can limit benefits or cause additional problems. Pain may keep you from achieving effective stretching range.
The assistance in assisted stretching is a trained professional with a thorough knowledge of anatomy and joint movement. This assistance adds two important features over traditional stretching.
First, your practitioner can stabilize your body, preventing movements that cause you discomfort or pain. They can also move your body beyond the typical ranges of motion you can accomplish on your own.
As well as stretching muscles, assisted stretches can work connective tissue like ligaments and tendons. This does a better job of improving range of motion and flexibility.
Assisted stretching is a customized modality. Your treatment plan is based on the details of your chronic pain condition, rather than a series of standard mobilizations that apply to any patient.
Each type of stretch has its own application and place in your chronic pain management plan. Assisted stretching may be the best option for patients who have difficulty using traditional stretching effectively due to flexibility or pain restrictions.
Traditional stretching is better suited for maintaining the benefits achieved by assisted stretching or other musculoskeletal therapy. The ideal treatment plan may indeed be a combination of assisted and traditional stretches.
If your chronic back pain gets worse, a professional evaluation by our staff is your best bet for effective treatment. Don’t rely on traditional stretching to fix your issue in the absence of an assessment and symptom review.
Call or click to book a pain consultation with Active Care Chiropractic & Rehabilitation at our nearest location whenever chronic back pain impacts your daily living. Plan your visit today.
