How to Tell if Stretch Therapy Is Right for You

Stretching to achieve your toes was a standard every day warmup in our childhood PE lessons. That stated, as adults, it may be more durable to get round to stretching or know how one can do it accurately.

Nonetheless, stretching has a number of advantages past feeling oh-so-good on these tight muscle tissues. That could be one motive extra persons are turning to “stretch remedy”—aka, getting an expert that can assist you stretch out.

“Assisted stretch remedy has elevated in recognition these previous few years,” says Thomas Pontinen, MD, doctor and co-founder of Midwest Anesthesia and Ache Specialists. “Once we’re speaking about stretch remedy, it’s typically referring to therapeutic companies that assist people stretch extra successfully and safely.”

It’s a part of a shifting development towards restoration: Almost half of People say stretching and restorative yoga are essential to them, per a 2023 Mindbody report.

Actually, stretching class reservations at gyms elevated 91 % in 2023 from the earlier yr—and stretching studio franchise StretchLab opened its four-hundredth studio in November 2023 (and had agreements in place for 900 extra studios as of early 2024), studies CNN.

Right here’s what to know concerning the observe earlier than you signal as much as get stretched.

What’s stretch remedy?

Briefly, stretch remedy is when a educated specialist helps you stretch your muscle tissues in particular methods.

“Not like conventional stretching you would possibly do by yourself, stretch remedy is usually extra structured and tailor-made to your particular wants,” says Eva Lassey, DPT, physician of bodily remedy and founder and CEO of DrSensory.

It might assist with a number of musculoskeletal points, per NASA, which provides stretch remedy as a part of its Starport quality-of-life program for workers. These points might embrace:

• Tight muscle tissues
• Lack of mobility
• Poor flexibility
• Ache

Stretch remedy may also enhance your bodily consciousness by serving to you higher perceive your physique, limitations, and correct motion patterns.

“It may be used to treatment restricted tissue motion, joint imbalances, and related issues that place somebody in danger for harm,” says Brittany Ferri, PhD, an occupational therapist with the Nationwide Council on Growing old.

In the event you assume that sounds a bit like bodily remedy, you’re not incorrect—however there are some distinct variations.

Whereas stretching is usually part of bodily remedy, they’re not the identical, Dr. Ferri says. That’s as a result of bodily therapists usually have extra in depth coaching than stretch therapists, which they use to deal with well being situations that will contain decreases in movement, flexibility, power, coordination, and extra.

Many bodily therapists provide stretching along with therapeutic workout routines, affected person training, neuromuscular re-education, gait coaching, ache administration modalities, and extra primarily based on the affected person’s issues and priorities.

The advantages of stretch remedy

Holding your muscle tissues limber, typically, comes with a number of perks. Actually, increased flexibility scores have been linked to a decrease danger of early loss of life in a 2024 research within the Scandinavian Journal of Medication & Science in Sports activities.

“Stretching will increase circulation and might expedite muscle restoration and joint well being, as a result of blood carries the vitamins that preserve tissues wholesome,” Dr. Pontinen says. “It additionally will increase bodily vary of movement and reduces muscular pressure.”

It’s doable that stretching with an professional might help you reap the benefits of these advantages, in the event you wouldn’t usually accomplish that by yourself.

“Stretching has many recognized advantages, however assisted stretching could make these advantages extra accessible,” Dr. Pontinen provides. “Having an professional to information you thru every step is a good device for holding your stretches secure and efficient.”

With a stretch therapist, you may additionally be capable of carry out stretches with extra depth, endurance, and precision—taking you past fundamental toe touches or arm raises. A therapist additionally has the information that can assist you goal the suitable muscle tissues primarily based in your distinctive wants.

“If you search an professional’s assist for stretch remedy relatively than going it alone, you can too profit from improved information about your physique’s mechanisms and how one can take heed to bodily indicators of ache and discomfort,” Dr. Ferri says.

Drawbacks of stretch remedy

Analysis has but to again up most of the advantages of investing in assisted stretching for total well being, particularly when in comparison with common, reasonable bodily exercise, per Harvard Medical Faculty.

Whereas deeper stretching may very well be useful for many who take part in sports activities like dance or gymnastics that require quite a lot of flexibility, stretching studios might not be vital for the on a regular basis particular person. In the event you’re only a bit stiff, merely working towards yoga or tai chi might provide help to really feel extra limber.

There are additionally sure bodily drawbacks of stretch remedy in comparison with different modalities like bodily remedy.

“Whereas stretch remedy focuses on flexibility and vary of movement, it might not be sufficient to handle underlying points resembling muscle imbalances, persistent ache, or severe accidents, which can require a extra complete method like bodily remedy,” Dr. Lassey says.

It additionally comes with the potential danger of overstretching, which might result in accidents like strains or sprains—so it’s essential to discover a therapist who understands your physique and distinctive wants.

Understand that you’ll must see a stretch therapist repeatedly to see outcomes.

“Common classes might be costly, and the prices can add up over time, particularly in the event you’re seeing a specialised therapist,” Dr. Lassey provides. “Stretch remedy requires an everyday dedication to see long-term advantages, which might not be possible for everybody.”

“Stretching has many recognized advantages, however assisted stretching could make these advantages extra accessible. Having an professional to information you thru every step is a good device for holding your stretches secure and efficient.” —Thomas Pontinen, MD

Price and insurance coverage protection

The value of stretch remedy varies by supplier. “Stretch remedy usually prices between $50 and $150 per hour, relying on the place you reside and the therapist’s expertise,” Dr. Ferri says.

Some stretch studios might provide reductions for a number of classes or preliminary consultations at a decrease charge, which can be useful in case your insurance coverage doesn’t cowl it (which is prone to be the case).

“Insurance coverage normally doesn’t cowl stretch remedy, although some plans would possibly embrace it below different drugs advantages,” Dr. Ferri says.

Test together with your insurance coverage firm to see if they provide any protection. Some insurance policy might also cowl your stretch remedy if it is a part of a broader bodily remedy program prescribed by a physician, Dr. Lassey provides.

Discover stretch remedy close to you

Go-to on-line directories like Zocdoc, Healthgrades, and Yelp might help information you to native stretch therapists or studios providing stretch remedy. Nonetheless, learn opinions and testimonials fastidiously to get perception into the standard of companies.

“I’d name and ask for a spot to share details about credentials, along with what makes them particular versus the competitors,” Dr. Pontinen says.

Test what expertise the stretch therapists have at a given studio or gymnasium. For example, some might obtain a selected variety of hours of hands-on coaching, have train science levels or yoga certifications, and even carry bodily remedy levels, per the College of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Your current healthcare workforce might also have ideas for stretch therapists or facilities.

“Ask your major care doctor, bodily therapist, or health coach for suggestions,” Dr. Lassey says. “Many gyms, yoga studios, and wellness facilities additionally provide stretch remedy as a part of their companies.”

Backside line: Is stretch remedy best for you?

In the event you’re searching for guided assist in bettering your flexibility, easing muscle pressure, or boosting your athletic efficiency for sports activities like dance, stretch remedy may be useful (simply be ready to cowl it out of pocket). Nonetheless, in the event you’re experiencing persistent ache, recovering from an harm, or coping with a selected situation, it’s higher to seek the advice of a bodily therapist or your physician first.