STRENGTH SENSEI BOOKSHELF
Therapeutic Stretching
A targeted approach to using stretching to prevent and treat soft tissue problems
Charles Poliquin considered stretching the Yin to the Yang of strength training, complementing each other. For the personal trainer, strength coach, or massage therapist, one valuable resource for using stretching to deal with structural imbalances or soft tissue restrictions that affect a client’s training or quality of life is Therapeutic Stretching by Jane Johnson, MSc.
Therapeutic Stretching is part of the hands-on guides for therapists developed by Human Kinetics publishers. These guides provide practical guidelines for assessing and treating soft tissue imbalances. Author Jane Johnson has four other books in this series: Deep Tissue Massage, Postural Assessment, and Postural Correction. These books have also been expanded into online courses that can be used for continuing education for many health and fitness certifications.
A physiotherapist and sports massage therapist, Johnson is co-director of the London Massage Company. She has provided workshops worldwide on her methods through professional organizations such as the Federation of Holistic Therapists. She is also a member of the Medico Legal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists, consulting on legal cases involving soft tissue therapies.
Professionally produced, Therapeutic Stretching will teach you full-color photos of 140 targeted stretches, both passive and active. With passive, the client performs the stretch and with active a trainer performs the stretch. Thus, a trainer might perform an active stretch during their training session and teach their client a passive stretch they can do at home. Consider the specific stretches she offers for the piriformis, for example.
The piriformis is a gluteal muscle often associated with lower back pain. From a performance standpoint, Coach Poliquin believed that tightness in the piriformis could affect lateral speed. One reason Coach Poliquin did not like box squats is because he believed they created chronic tightness in the piriformis. One issue associated with such tightness is called piriformis syndrome.
On page 82, Johnson describes piriformis syndrome as “pain in the buttocks and lower limb resulting from compression of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle.” She then provides two active stretches, one performed on the floor and one seated. On page 83, she describes a passive stretch, noting that this may be the preferred method “because of the force needed to stretch the strong muscles of the buttock region.”
Therapeutic Stretching is a complete resource that discusses therapeutic stretching theory and methods, followed by targeted stretches and stretching routines. All the major muscles are covered, specifically the neck, spine, pelvis, shoulders, elbows, hip, knee, ankle, and foot. The book is divided into four parts:
Part I: Getting Started with Therapeutic Stretching
Part II: Stretching Methods
Part III: Implementing Your Stretches
Part IV: Stretching Routines
For review, and as a preview, an additional section is included called “Answers to Quick Questions.” This section summarizes the key ideas covered in each chapter.
Therapeutic Stretching offers bodyworkers, personal trainers, and strength coaches a valuable reference guide to helping their clients, whether they be the general population or an elite athlete. Order your copy today!
[You can purchase Therapeutic Stretching by Jane Johnson through Amazon.com, and the book and online course can be purchased through Human Kinetics.)
