Stretching & Chiropractic

Stretching and Chiropractic? Most people stretch and hardly pay any attention to it.

Throughout the day a person may stretch upon waking up, after sitting in the same position for a while, or after working out.

Stretching often makes us feel better but it might be surprising to discover that it is beneficial to optimal body function. As a person ages their muscles begin to tighten.

This is a natural part of the aging process. However, it can cause decreased range of motion, joint stiffness, and can make normal day to day activities difficult. After certain injuries stiffness can set in, causing pain and decreased flexibility.

What many chiropractic patients may be surprised to learn is that stretching is a great complement to chiropractic care. When combined with simple stretches and low impact exercises, chiropractic patients often find that their injuries heal faster, their pain is reduced, and they simply feel better and more energetic. If that is not enough to convince you…keep reading.

When you stretch the muscles, your body will improve your posture by helping to keep your spine in better alignment. When your muscles are not stretched properly, they begin to tighten. This means that muscles on one side of your spine may tighten up more than the muscles on the other side. This results in a compensation that the body causes the spine to be pulled out of position. Stretching prevents these compensations and can make you less prone to injury.

It is important that you do not overdo it though. Some people stretch wrong, thinking that if they force their bodies into certain positions or if they “bounce” to get a deeper stretch then they will be more flexible. However, stretching in an unsafe way will result in injuries including pulled muscles and muscle tearing.