Bill: Question about ART/Stretching

[ricardo]

Hi Bill,

I love the site. Please could you offer me some advice?

I have tight shoulder ext rotators on my right side (shortened).

In addition to conventional stretching exercises, I am interested in getting some massage/release therapy treatment. I am interested in a treatment that as well as massaging will stretch the muscle/connective tissues at the same time.

I had some sports massage a while ago at a sports convention where the therapist applied pressure to my ext rotators and I had to actively move my arm (I think I abducted it and rotated it), effectively stretching the muscle under his grip (unfortunately I have lost his phone number). Is this a standard/well known technique?

I have tried something called 'Deep Tissue Massage', this involved the therapist pushing hard into the muscle, but I don't think that this was as good. It may be good for removing knots, but I don't have any, the muscles are just shortened.

What type of therapy do you think would be good for the effect that I am after? Is this something that Active Release Therapy could help me with? (I have also read about Myofascial Release Therapy and rolfing?).

Unfortunately, I can't visit you as I am in the United Kingdom, but if you could suggest a therapy I can try to find a registered practitioner over here.

Many thanks for your time, [img]smile.gif[/img]
Kind regards
Richard

PS - If anyone else is reading this who has experience with this specific problem please post a reply! Thanks in advance.

[Ian]

I'm not one of those guys who knows a lot about anything unfortunately.. but just as a note I've read a bit about "active release therapy".. and from what I read it seemed to me all about "releasing".. ie the knots etc, so I'm guessing that would be aimed toward fixing things like the deep tissue massage you had as opposed to the stretching you're after..

I also share the same problem being in the UK (right pain at times isn't it!).

[Bill Hartman]

There are some certified ART practitioners in the UK. Go to the Active Release site and do a search.

There several methods that incorporated contact + movement (ART being one of them). I've seen improvement with client who have regular Rolfing as well as some tool based therapies as well.

Do the search and then let me know if you have someone close by.

Bill

[DKing]

I will chime in and say ART is amazing. My ART guy has done wonders on my shoulders. I also had some very very tight external rotators.

Another thing that helped me a ton was Ecentric Quasi-Isometrics for the external rotators. Bill turned me on to the concept and it has worked great. Its basically a isometric hold in the stretch position with weight. Start light and hold for around 60 seconds.

Danny

[ricardo]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the replies so far.

Bill - I will check out the ART website.

Danny - Can you elaborate on teh Eccentric Quasi-Isometrics please? How do you do it?

Many thanks
Richard