Hi, this week's Stretch-of-the-Week is once again focusing on the muscles of the back. The truck rotators involves the thoracic and lumbar spine, which would include the eretor spinae muscles mentioned last week, the semispinalis thoracis, multifidus and the rotatores. The external obliques angle downwards and medial from the ribs and the internal obliques angles upwards and medial from the lateral and posterior iliac crest of the pelvis. Both set of obliques are the major muscles responsible for trunk rotation and therefore are mainly being stretched with this exercise.
To do this stretch the stretcher should be sitting, with their knees bent and legs hanging off the edge. Keeping their back straight they should twist as far right as they can, a trick is to keep the stretchers nose inline with their sternum. The partner should reach under the stretchers right arm and put their hand the stretchers right anterior shoulder. The partners left hand should be on the stretchers left scapula providing support. The stretcher should then attempt to rotate to their left with the partner providing matching resistance. The stretcher should then relax and inhale deeply. On the exhale the stretcher should rotate further to the right.
It is important to remember to keep the stretchers back straight to avoid incorrect stretching which can lead to injury. When the stretcher is rotating back againsit their partner they need to remember to twist from the trunk and not to push back with their shoulder.
Always remember that while stretching may be recommended to aid recovery out of injury, you should always be very careful when stretching through rehabilitation. Your soft tissues are likely to be more vulnerable to re-injury if you stretch too much or too hard during this time. Always check with your Health Care Professional who is guiding you through your recovery to make sure it is appropriate to start stretching, and please - ALWAYS FOLLOW THE RULES FOR SAFE STRETCHING (blog #50).
To do this stretch the stretcher should be sitting, with their knees bent and legs hanging off the edge. Keeping their back straight they should twist as far right as they can, a trick is to keep the stretchers nose inline with their sternum. The partner should reach under the stretchers right arm and put their hand the stretchers right anterior shoulder. The partners left hand should be on the stretchers left scapula providing support. The stretcher should then attempt to rotate to their left with the partner providing matching resistance. The stretcher should then relax and inhale deeply. On the exhale the stretcher should rotate further to the right.
It is important to remember to keep the stretchers back straight to avoid incorrect stretching which can lead to injury. When the stretcher is rotating back againsit their partner they need to remember to twist from the trunk and not to push back with their shoulder.
Always remember that while stretching may be recommended to aid recovery out of injury, you should always be very careful when stretching through rehabilitation. Your soft tissues are likely to be more vulnerable to re-injury if you stretch too much or too hard during this time. Always check with your Health Care Professional who is guiding you through your recovery to make sure it is appropriate to start stretching, and please - ALWAYS FOLLOW THE RULES FOR SAFE STRETCHING (blog #50).
Information obtained from McAtee, R. & Charland, J. (1993) Facilitated Stretching
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