Should I be stretching or strengthening?

Dr. Chandler contemplating the deep questions of the PT world.

“Hey, Siri, I have had months of pain in my lower back, and every doctor has told me that I need to stretch my hamstrings because they are tight. Do I need to stretch, or should I go work out like my friend from the gym tells me?” 

Ah, to stretch or to strengthen, that is a great question. 

“When is it a good idea to stretch?” 

Let's look at what the research says: 

When and how you stretch is important and heavily depends on your goals! 

When added throughout the day, stretching has many benefits, including increased tolerance to muscle tension and improved flexibility. It is also suggested that it reduces soreness following activity.  

Prolonged stretching for 30 seconds or more before activity has been shown to reduce maximal strength. Therefore, prolonged stretching after activity is recommended. This includes your standard hamstring stretches, calf stretches, upper trap stretches, etc.

Dynamic stretching can improve motion for activity without impacting strength. That’s why dynamic stretching is recommended before an activity. Some examples of dynamic stretching include air squats, lunges, high knees, butt kicks, side shuffles, cross-over stepping, leg swings, arm circles, cat-cows, thoracic rotations, etc.

“I’ve been stretching for a while but still have pain and tightness...Why is that?” 

That's because muscle weakness can also disguise itself as tightness.  

Mind blown, right!? 

Don’t worry, ours was, too, when we first learned about it. 

If you’ve been stretching one area, such as your back, hamstring, upper traps, etc., and the tension keeps returning, it’s time to consider a progressive strengthening program and load those tissues. This helps build tissue resilience to your symptoms at bay.

A proper evaluation from a Physical Therapist is the best tool for determining the root cause of your muscular aches and pains and working with you to determine the best course of action. 

Life, including stretching and strengthening, is about balance. 

Let’s work together to rebalance your approach and abolish your aches and pains for good.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Chandler at our Appleton North clinic, call 920-991-2561.

Or click here to find a location most convenient for you.

*Disclaimer: Stretching may not be the best option if you have an acute muscle sprain (e.g., you were sprinting, felt a pop or slipped on ice, did the splits, and felt your muscle pull with immediate pain after the incident). In these cases, follow up with a physical therapist ASAP to assess further and direct your journey. 

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Not sure if PT is right for you?

We do offer Free Screens to assess further and determine the best course of action with you.

Dry Needling

Autumn Paul, PT, DPT

You may have heard about dry needling from one of your friends or family members and now you are thinking, “What is dry needling? Could I benefit from it?”

Dry needling involves the practitioner using a solid filiform needle or hollow-core hypodermic needle (similar to an acupuncture needle) to place it through the skin and enter the muscle. The goal is to place the needle specifically into a myofascial trigger point (hyperactive muscle fibers).

These trigger points can be located in a tense band of muscle. For example, many people have tightness or soreness in their shoulders or necks from the tension they carry throughout the day.

These hyperactive muscle fibers (tense bands of muscle) can send signals to other parts of your body which are considered “referred pain”.

The goal of dry needling is to pierce these trigger points in order to allow these muscle fibers to relax, which can help reduce your pain levels.

“So what conditions may dry needling help with?”

● Headaches

● Shoulder/neck pain/tightness

● Lower back pain/ tightness

● Tennis and golfer’s elbow

● Knee pain

● Shin splints

● TMJ/jaw pain

● Plantar fasciitis

● Hip Pain/ tightness

“Can any physical therapist perform dry needling?”

In order to be able to perform dry needling, the physical therapist is required to go through extensive training. This training includes studying human anatomy and hands-on practice. These training sessions are often a weekend course or even several weekend courses.

“Awesome, I want to see a physical therapist who can assess and see if I could potentially benefit from dry needling. How do I make an appointment?”

First, look online to see what location is closest to you. Then, you can request to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist who is certified to perform dry needling.

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References:

Firth C, Meon J, Price M, Taylor J, Grace S. Dry Needling: A literature Review. Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society . 2020;26(1):22-28. Accessed January 14, 2021.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=143040461&site=eds-live

http://www.kinfolkwellness.com.au/dry-needling-adelaide