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- If you would like to view movies of all the exercises on these
pages, then please look at:-
- Some of the exercises require you to use a piece of
Thera-Band for muscle
strengthening. If required you can buy it from Physio Med. I would suggest
red for the upper limb
exercises, and green for the
lower limb exercises. Depending on your physical
capabilities, you may need to go higher or lower in the
range.
- The purpose of these exercises is to stretch muscles
which are shortened and in spasm, and to strengthen
muscles which are weak.
- What makes a happy
muscle / a happy muscle is one that is supple,
strong, and emotionally calm (good descending inhibition). An unhappy
muscle is one that is shortened, weak, and emotionally
distressed (poor descending inhibition). You
may ask "How do I stay emotionally calm in the presence
of severe pain ?". My answer would be that you should
learn as much about the cause of the pain as possible,
and try to develop a set of beliefs that are simple and
have some basis in science. Try to avoid distressing
adjectives, superstitious ideas about the pain, and
dangerous labels like "crumbling discs", "spinal
arthritis". Hopefully this website will help you to this
end.
- If you are in the middle of an acute pain episode,
then all of these exercises can be attempted, but need to
be done gently, and without excessive force. Severe pain
means you have over done it, and you need to be more
gentle. If you are experiencing just a little pulling
feeling or mild pain, then that's about just right. On
one hand you have to listen to your body so that you
don't over do things, and on the other, you don't have to
be frightened of it. Remember it's just muscle pain and
it won't kill you. Gentle exercises such as these are
very unlikely to cause harm. As the pain and spasm begins
to ease, you can gently increase the length of time you
spend stretching, and how far you push the stretch.
- I would suggest that you take the duvet off your bed
and use the bed as a comfortable exercise mat. If you
have an exercise mat then that would be fine also.
- Muscles relax when warm, and contract when cold. I
would therefore suggest soaking in a hot bath before
stretching, particularly during an acute attack.
- If you have acute sciatica with severe pain in
the leg down to the foot, I would advise having treatment for the sciatica, before starting
on this programme. The stretches on this page also apply
to those with non/nerve root sciatica. Look at exercises for sciatica also.
- Those who have chronic back pain should pace
themselves, not being too impatient at the start. Set
yourself a small goal and take your time getting there.
You cannot undo several years of back pain in five
minutes. Starting too vigorously is likely to increase
the muscle spasm not reduce it. If you haven't done it
for years, then it is bound to hurt a little at the
beginning. Have courage and don't be frightened.
Stretching regularly plus general aerobic exercise like
swimming and walking is the key to success. It may take
you months or years to achieve some of the movements on
this page. Muscle Energy Techniques may be more
suitable for this group of sufferers. Some people may
have to accept that they cannot achieve the full stretch,
but even 50% achievement is better than nothing !!
- Those with severe heart and breathing problems should
consult their own doctor before starting.
- These exercises should be safe for those with
osteoporosis, but if you have any doubts please consult
your own doctor.
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| Muscle Energy
Technique |
- Muscle Energy Technique
(MET) was invented by a USA osteopath, it is also known
as Post Isometric Relaxation
(PIR).
- It is basically an electro-physiological trick to
encourage muscles to relax more quickly. You contract the
muscle that you want to stretch against a fixed
resistance for 5 seconds in one direction, and then
gently stretch it in the opposite direction during the
first 3 seconds after the contraction has
stopped.
- The initial muscle contraction is known as an
isometric contraction i.e. making the muscle work while
it is kept at a fixed length. It appears that because of
the way that agonist/antagonist pairs of muscles are
connected to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, a muscle
can readily relax during the 3 second window just after a
5 second isometric contraction. Once you understand the
basic principles of the technique, you can figure out how
to stretch any muscle in the body !!
- You can also incorporate breathing into MET to aid
muscle relaxation. Try to follow the sequence below:-
- Gently stretch the muscle in question to the
point where it begins to pull - this is the initial
barrier point.
- Take a big breath in and hold it (don't let it
escape).
- While remaining at the barrier point, contract
the muscle you want to stretch against a fixed
resistance for FIVE seconds in one direction, at
about 25% of maximum effort. You don't get any extra
benefit by being macho - 25% is the best, not
100%.
- Quickly let your breath go with your mouth open
(not slowly through pursed lips), and during the next
THREE seconds gently stretch the muscle a little
further in the opposite direction until you feel a
gentle pull again - this is the new barrier point.
You must not force the muscle to stretch, as this
will cause it to contract rather than relax.
- Hold this new barrier point and start again at
no.2, going round the loop several times.
- At the end of a 5 minute session you should find that
the muscle has considerably lengthened, that it feels
looser, and with a greater range of active and passive
movement.
- It is common to find in an agonist/antagonist pair of
muscles, that one muscle is over-developed, supple and
strong, with the other muscle being under-developed, weak
and short e.g. strong supple quadriceps in the front of
the thigh with weak short hamstrings in the back of the
thigh. For proper muscle balance it is worth stretching
and strengthening the weak short one.
- For a practical demonstration of MET look at the MET
stretch in Flexion (Lying).
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