It may sound a bit far fetched that stretching for arthritis could be responsible for relieving the pain. I certainly thought that it was after I had suffered from Joint pain for 7 years. I had all sorts of treatment but nothing helped until I stretched the muscles that really needed to be stretched.
But the proof was soon evident that Stretching for Arthritis really helped. In fact after 3 months I had no more pain. Not only was I pain free but also I had full movement again. More importantly I could do everything that I hadn’t been able to do for 7 years!
I then spent the next 15 years teaching stretching for arthritis sufferers and continued to see great results. I am now a firm believer that stretching for arthritis is essential for the best results.
Stretching is a very easy method of treatment, it can be done by nearly anyone and it is free! When people are stretching for arthritis we need to be careful to not irritate the joints concerned but it is still a relatively easy thing to do.
The most crucial consideration is that you are stretching the exact muscles that need to be stretched. Also the frequency and length of stretch is important.
General rules of thumb when stretching for Arthritis;
- The muscle to be stretched should be put carefully into position.
- The stretch should feel like a pulling sensation in the muscle (not pain)
- Hold each stretch for 30 seconds
- Repeat this stretch 3 times in a row (assuming there is no joint pain)
- This set of 3 stretches is to be performed at least 3 times a day
- Stop and seek professional advice if there is any pain as a result of the stretching
As stated earlier, stretching the muscles that need to be stretched is the key (I spent nearly 1 year stretching the wrong muscles and just kept getting worse!).
This is where you need the advice of a specialist in the field of stretching for arthritis.