Body Stretch Therapy
What is body stretch therapy?
Body Stretch was created by Alliette Chignoli, a method of active isolated stretching therapy that utilizes the Aaron Mattes Active Isolated Stretching protocols for over 40 years. Through 60 minutes session, it will increase the client's flexibility and mobility by countable measures. Clients see results in the body by feeling looser, relaxed, pain-free, and much more. Within three months, clients come back with testimonials that they can move easier, reach longer distances, and their range of motion has improved. Golfers, runners, functional athletes and other sports athletics can see an immediate impact on their sport by being able to balance muscles and joints, and staying injury free. Body Stretch therapy is done on a massage table converted to a stretching table with unique pads and belts. The Body Stretch utilizes several protocols designed specifically for each body part. It is not a cookie-cutter stretch, it is individualize for each client needs. This method reaches deep into the muscle tissues, joints, and ligaments, like no other method out there. With precise stabilization, control, and comfort, the therapist systematically positions, stabilizes, isolates, and carefully assists each rhythmical stretch. As the therapist continues in this systematic progression, she gently guides each tri-planer movement a few degrees past the active range of motion, then helps guide the movement back to zero tension before the muscle reacts to being stretched by going into its protective contraction. The results is an invigorating, rejuvenating effect upon the body, priming it for its peak athletic functionality. In addition, Body Stretch adds an additional benefits to the stretch, making it the most unique method you will find in South Florida. During the body stretch session, the therapist adds the benefits of a Stick Roll-Out Therapy and Jeannie Rub Therapy. This incredible and unique methods are complimentary and free to the client. The stick roll-out therapy rolls knots out of the muscles, providing myofascial release and trigger point therapy. The therapeutic procedure inactivates trigger points (muscle knots), warms the muscles, increases circulation, and encourages nutrient-rich blood flow. The Jeannie Rub creates a full muscle massage and relaxation throughout the body at the end of each session. Body Stretch is an overall unique and holistic approach to enhancing the body and improving health and wellness. Body Stretch is only offered by Alliette Chignoli, and it's a one-of-a-kind therapy you will not find anywhere else.
Purpose of Stretching
- Increase and maintain complete range of motion of the joint.
- Relieve muscle soreness. Light exercise promotes a better supply of blood and oxygen to the muscles than complete rest and should be pursued unless severity of injury to muscles or joints precludes further activity.
- Help improve our capacity for activity. Stretched muscles require less energy for completion of movements.
- Relieve muscle-joint stiffness associated with the aging process.
- Assists in decreasing unnecessary neuromuscular tension, promoting general body relaxation, and reducing emotional stress.
- Increased musculotendinous extensibility. Muscle can stretched 1.6 times its resting length before it tears.
- Elongate the fascia. Fascia provides the binding together muscle support system. Elasticity varies between individuals and is a major reason some individuals experience slower progress in flexibility attainment.
- Help prevent joint sprains, muscle strains or tears including preventing re-injury to previous joint and muscle trauma.
- Major part of the pre-activity warm-up increasing tissue temperature by an increased metabolic rate.
- Part of the warm-down process increase blood flow to the fatigued area, eliminate toxic waste products from cells, reduce soreness, muscle relaxation and additional flexibility improvement.
- Help provide greater potentials of physical and athletic skills,
- Reduction of tightness that may contribute to pain, spasm or cramping.
- Provides an important adjunct toward recovery during the rehabilitation process.
Reasons for Lack of Flexibility
What causes stiffness and tightness:
- Muscle imbalance: Many times the agonist muscles are far weaker than the corresponding antagonist muscles on the opposite side of the joint.
- Neurological conditions (Stroked, Parkison’s Mutiple Sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gerhrigs), Cerebral Palsy), Post-Polio, Scleroderma).
- Spinal conditions (Scoliosis, Lordosis, Kyphosis)
- Post Injury (fracture, sprain, strain).
- Post-Surgery
- The temporary or chronic inability to actively move a joint in a given direction because of paralysis, neurological disease, neurological injury, or joint immobilization.
- Repeated overuse of the muscle without maintaining a complete range of motion. Activites that are constantly performed without stretching will result in tight joints and muscles.
- Sports Movements (run, jump, start, stop)
- Repeated Sports Grill
- Running
- Cycling
- The effects of aging. Aging affects muscle and fascia tissue elasticity. As we age, strength, bulk of muscle and tissue flexibility are more difficult to maintain.
- Inactivity
- Hypertonicity
- Periods of rapid growth. Body coordination is affected during times of growth when the body displays rapid change in height or weight. Temporary loss of coordination as musculontendinous structure flexibility fails to keep up to the increased long bone or soft tissue growth.
- Flexibility and elasticity are synonyms for joint range of motion. Primary determinants of FLEXIBILITY: MUSCULATURE AND FASCIA SURROUNDING A JOINT. Each performance activity requires its own unique set of FLEXIBILITY CHARACTERISTICS. Gymnastics, swimming, baseball, tennis, running, basketball, cycling.
- Lack of normal FLEXIBILITY constrains the extent and quality of performance and contributes to certain ailments or injuries that may occur.
- Lack of adequate FLEXIBILITY causes the stretch reflex to exert restrictive force, limiting the desired movement and requiring more energy to overcome the stretch reflex. The loss of tissue elasticity greatly increases the possibility of injury.
Body Stretch Therapy
What should I expect in the first session?
The first session is 50 to 60-minutes long. Your only job while being stretched is to relax while listening to nice music and breathe in and out throughout the session. Your first session includes an assessment that will provide you with information in regards to your specific needs of body stretch and how we can improve your weaknesses or limitations.
We will determine the following questions after the assessment:
- How often do you need to come for sessions?
- What level of stiffness, tightness or lack of flexibility you have at the current moment and what needs to be done to improve in any of your areas?
- What you can expect from body stretch, and what time frame do you need to give the therapy to feel the improvements in the areas that are most concerning to you?
Come prepared to your first session and bring the following:
- Comfortable workout type clothes - shirt, sweats, joggers, shorts or spandex.
- We have a bathroom for you to change if you need to.
- Drink water
- Come at least 10 minutes early to complete intake form (first visit only)
What is the difference between US and everyone else
- We have a complete range of stretching protocols that cover all areas of the body.
- Ankle-Foot Flexibility - 16 stretching techniques
- Elbow, Radioulnar, Wrist, Finger, and Thumb Flexibility - 17 stretching techniques
- Hip / Knee / Trunk Flexibility - 31 stretching techniques
- Neck flexibility - 16 stretching techniques
- Shoulder Flexibility - 27 stretching techniques
- Our stretching protocols include lengthening and strengthening of all muscle groups
- We do not have a cookie-cutter same stretch for all people. We do not take 30 minutes to stretch an entire body. It takes longer that 30 minutes to stretch, lengthening, and strengthening a body. Every person is different so why give you the same exact stretch?
- We prepare a stretching program modify for each client's needs.
- Each protocol can take up to 30 minutes to cover all stretches for a specific area, so as per the client's program it can take up to an hour for the entire session. If the client wants us to give him/her the extended program it can take 2 hours.
AIS can treat any of the following conditions
- Lack of flexibility
- Lack of mobility
- Lack of Range of Motion
- Muscle stiffness, tightness, and soreness
- Cramps
- Lack of physical movement
- Poor blood flow and circulation problems
- Desk job immobility
- Hip Flexor conditions
- Arthritis conditions
- Back Pain
- Disc Herniation
- Decreased Athletic Performance
- Fatigue
- Lack of Sleep
- Muscle Strain
- Numbness
- Stress
- Pain in Arms, Legs, Feet, Hips, Knees, overall body issues.
- Headaches
- Sprains and Strains
- Sport Injuries
- Thoracic - Lumbar Spine
- Shoulder conditions
- Feet and Calves conditions