STRETCHING

Myofunktional Exercise  Collect ion

Application:

no illustration

This chapter gives a general description of a collective group of exercises and details which are sharing the here described facts. Their scope would be texture areas which are not able to fill in their physiological frame of movability due to malformation, injury or continued dysfunctional hypertonia (Spasm).

It is the aim to stretch the soft tissues (musculature along with tendons, fasciae and cover – skin or mucosa). ‘Function causes Form. Frequently the beneficial influence of the stretching also includes the hard tissues.

Contents:

Tissue stretching

„Contract - Stretch - Relief – Hold”; this is the motto guiding the exercises when gently but

-1 („Contract“) under muscle straining the maximum position is taken up in a way that preferably the muscle stretching reflex of the addressed antagonistic muscle is not triggered.

-2 („Stretch“) followed by a manipulated further stretching. This will either be done by outside assistance or through the patient himself (Auto Stretching).

-3  („Relief“) Now the tonicity will mostly be taken from the musculature and

-4 („Hold“) the position held over a period which will steadily be expanded up to about two minutes.

The active stretching is achieved by a maximum tensioning of the antagonist of the target muscle and, the, holding the position.

Intensification will here be gained through the additional constriction of the target muscle in its stretched state.

The Passive Stretching takes place through assistance performed from outside the target muscle system Agonist / Antagonist. The patient will obtain this with the help of other muscle groups or an assisting person.

-Timing: With the repeated carry-out a widened stretching position should be gained.

Materials:

Procedure:

- Previous exercises: Not obligatory, loosening-up exercise may be used.

-Starting position: The respective stand-by or an analogical position.

- Step-by-step-description:

A

-1 Under Active Stretching the patient takes up the prescribed position as far as possible and

-2 then intensifies the tonicity within the antagonist until a pulling, dragging type of sensation is to be felt.

-3 This position is kept while counting.

-4 For an intensity increase, where needed, the target muscle is tautened.

A striking example for this may be the exercise SUCK AND PULL.

B

-1 Under Passive Stretching the stretching muscle power is inserted from outside the system Agonist / Antagonist.

-2 Here, as well, the stretching will be exerted until the pulling, dragging type of sensation can be felt.

-3 The consecutive steps also resemble the foregoing description. As an example:

- In stretching the sublingual region with the KEEP-THE-POINT the ,mandible openers are activated antagonistically,

- in the buccal region the air pressure from the lungs is helping to stretch the tissues (BALLOON),

- in the Orbicularis region the hand is pulling (PULL-THE-TRUNK).

-Timing: As described, the maximum position is gained and kept while counting which is filling one Sequence (HOLD-EXERCISE). The Sequence following within this Series is, then, delivered under increased demand (INCREASE-ARRANGEMENT).

Characteristics:

Stato-dynamic, Mobility Exercise, Stretching.

Remarks:

Injuries and scars should be treated cautiously.

Discussion:

Stretching belongs to the MOBILITY EXERCISES. In connection with these also ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE may be prescribed by occupying the target muscle in the pre-exercise with contraction followed by “relief” and continuing with the actual Stretching Exercise. The tonicity state of the antagonist should be minded and, where required, a too week one intensely exercised.

For the mental attunement a smooth, quiet breathing should be recommended.

A group of described exercises implies a stretching component. The following list is synopsizing those where this component is particularly obvious.

LIST OF EXERCISES WITH A STRETCH EFFECT

OPEN AND CLOSE                                                            Sublingual region

BALLOON                                                                          Cheek

WIDE GRIN                                                                        Orbicularis

LETTER SLOT                                                                    Orbicularis           

CLOWNY                                                                            Lips

CHUBBY LIP                                                                      Lower lip/Mentalis

JOINT STRETCH (MANIPULATED)                             TM Joint

GORILLA                                                                            Lower lip/Mentalis

NECK SIDE STRETCH                                                      Lateral Neck muscles

HOLD-AND-PULL                                                            Sublingual region

,I'-EXERCISE                                                                       Chin region

MASTICATORY MUSCLE STRETCH   (LATER.)       Adductors

ROLLING HEADS                                                               Posterior and lateral Neck musculature

TURN YOUR HEAD                                                          Transversal frontal Neck musculature

CLOWNY                                                                             Lips

LIPSTRETCH                                                                       Lips

GAPE                                                                                     Orbicularis

MENTALIS MASSAGE                                                    Chin region

MENTALIS STRETCH                                                      Chin region

, M-O-I ‘                                                                               Chin region

NAPE-DIALTOR                                                                Posterior  Neck musculature

UPPER LIPP MASSAGE (PASSIV)                                 Upper lip

UPPERLIP STRETCHING(ACTIVE)                                Upper lip

PULL-THE-TRUNK                                                            Orbicularis

SALINEKEEPING                                                               Rostral Vestibulum

SUCK AND PULL                                                               Sublingual region

TONGUE-PLOP                                                                    Sublingual region

FROZEN PLOP                                                                     Sublingual region

SPECTRE                                                                              Orbicularis region

SIDE THRUST                                                                    Adductors unilateral

CHEEKBUMP                                                                      Cheek region

COTTONROLE                                                                    Lower lip

Instructions:

See respective exercises.