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Exercise and Rehabilitation
At a later stage of a successful chiropractic treatment
plan it is essential to strengthen the muscles of the spine through a specially designed exercise program. This important phase of recovery ensures that your muscles will support the benefits of the chiropractic treatment. The exercises on this webpage are intended for chiropractic patients only and should not be undertaken without the approval, instruction and monitoring of your Doctor of Chiropractic.
Stretching
1. The first thing to remember when starting a stretching program is that the goal is to increase flexibility and functioning of the muscle. We are not trying to inflict pain. If you are feeling pain during a stretch there are a couple of things you can do. First try decreasing the intensity of the stretch by not going into the stretch as far. If there is still pain, then stop doing the stretch and ask your doctor what you should do. Stretches can be modified by your doctor so that they are not causing any pain.
Note: While we don’t want to feel any pain, the stretch should be a little uncomfortable. If there is no feeling of tension or a slight ache (but not a painful ache), then the stretching is not being done
effectively.
2. Always follow the instructions given to you by your doctor. There are some general "rules" that you can follow, however, if you are stretching on your own. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds, without bouncing. If the stretch isn’t held long enough, it will not be effective. If the stretch is held too long, or done with bouncing, injury could occur. The more often you stretch the more effective stretching will be. You don’t, however, start out by stretching four times a day. Start by stretching once or twice a day and gradually increase the frequency as your body adjusts to the stretching program.
3. It takes one to two weeks of stretching before you will note any changes in flexibility or function of the muscle. So don’t get discouraged if it seems that the stretches are not working. It is also important to be patient with yourself, don’t push too hard because the stretch is not working fast enough.
4. Remember there is always another way to stretch the same muscle. So don’t let yourself get bored. Stretching can be fun, and having a wide variety of stretches will help you keep your interest and motivation to continue stretching. You can always ask your doctor for another stretch, a different variation of a stretch, or even for an opinion on a stretch you discovered yourself.