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Newsletter no. 21 – Monday 25 October, 2021

This is the web-based version of Stretch Therapy Newsletter no. 21

Announcing the ST email newsletters archive!

Chances are that, like many people these days, you receive a large number of emails each week, and also likely find that you don't always get to read all of them as soon as they come in. Instead, some get filed in the 'I'll read that later, when I have a few spare moments' part of your brain: then when those moments arrive you can't find what you had put aside to read later 🐱.The ST email newsletters contain substantial amounts of detailed information, in the form of articles, video tutorials, and audio recordings. To make it easy to refer back to them whenever you wish to, or read ones you missed in the past, we have built an archive page on the ST website.


The navigation link is in the Wiki drop down menu: screenshot below.
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Hands and forearms, mainly 😻

These three videos demonstrate in different ways working on nerves, fascia, and muscles (tendons, too, of course!), in the hands and forearms mainly. Wherever you are tightest in any of these several structures, that's where you will feel the main effects, and these will change over time with practice.

Anyone who works at a keyboard, or who does the kind of work where grip strength is needed, must do these exercises from time to time. Many of our massage therapist students have told us that these exercises have saved their arms.

Watch

Using a stick to stretch hands, wrists, forearms and biceps

This video shows a variation on the basic shoulder mobilisation using a long stick, these additional tweaks allow the practitioner to target many small and larger places in the hands, wrists, forearms, and biceps. Many people with computer-related pain have found these to be a major blessing! The main effects are fascial and neural, in addition to muscular.

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RollStretch techniques for the forearm

Do you have forearm tension, or pain? Get into those trigger points the RollStretch way: let Olivia show you how, using any hard ball and the seat of a chair. Options for balls are discussed at the beginning of the video. Olivia shows how to use the ball on bare skin (for maximum visibility) but the techniques work just as well if you are wearing a long-sleeved top. This is a must for anyone who spends too much time at the keyboard – and isn't that everyone?

This is a RollStretch technique. RollStretch targets fascia everywhere in the body, and is designed to soften and realign this most important substance.

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Partner floor forearm stretch

This video shows our #1 overcome-RSI exercise; we have had spectacular success with this one over many years. Its main effects are in removing adhesions between neural and fascial structures in the forearm; evidence to support this is if adhesions were present, you will see a clearly visible redness in the skin over the area where the Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is experienced, which lasts only moments, which we believe is momentarily increased blood flow to that area.

Please follow the instructions carefully: this is potentially a very strong stretch, and as the partner, you can hurt someone if you move too quickly, or strongly. If you have not yet done so, please first explore the solo version.

*Please note that all Stretch Therapy "stretching" techniques are also strengthening techniques, too, because we use isometric contractions as part of the process. The contractions strengthen the muscle in the part of the range of movement they are applied in, and if excessive tension is the cause of the pain you are experiencing, the same contractions result in a relaxation of the muscle.*

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A note from a student

Fantastic! I have been battling tennis elbow for over a year and just found this video [Using a stick to stretch hands, wrists, forearms and biceps]. I have tried many stretches on Youtube but my elbow feels better after performing these stretches just once. I can't wait to see what regular stretching will do!

April Solloway, a comment left on the ST YouTube channel
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