Sydney Therapies

 Welcome to the Stretching page of Sydney Therapies. This page is still being built and I will include a lower body stretches section when I have a spare month! We will continue adding to this page as time goes on. Please visit again soon!

The following is a guide to stretching the major muscles groups of the upper body. I would highly recommend reading the following article on stretching before you begin, as it describes the best techniques to use. Click on this link and read the second article:

www.sydneytherapies.com/articles

If you are unsure of how to do any of these stretches, or if doing them hurts or feels 'wrong', then stop immediately. It may be best to seek one-on-one advice from somebody trained in stretching and anatomy if it isn't working for you.

The following stretches are great for computer-users or anyone suffering from pain or tightness in the neck, arms, or back.

Upper Body Stretches

Sitting Posture

When stretching, it is important to maintain good posture. Most of these stretches are done sitting and they will be safer and more effective if your starting position is good. Whether you are sitting on a chair or a bed is not so important. What is important is that your posture is erect but also relaxed. If you start off slouched and try to do some of the following stretches, they will be bad for your joints. All seated stretches should begin in this position.

Sit up straight, and relax!

Back of the Neck (the Splenius muscles, Levator Scapulae, Upper Trapezius, Sub-occipitals)

To stretch the back of the neck, imagine there is a string attached at the point where your skull joins your vertebral column and that this string is pulling you upwards. The initial movement is to sit up straight and lift up. From this position, slowly curl your neck forwards until you feel a stretch.

To increase the stretch, lock your hands together and rest them on the back of your neck. This probably won't be necessary for most people. If you feel it is, don't use your hands to 'pull' on your neck; their weight alone will be enough to increase the stretch.

Spinal muscles (Erector Spinae)

A neck stretch can also be done standing. When you curl far enough forwards you should feel the stretch extend right down the spine to include the erector spinae group, which are the various muscles parallel to the spine which hold the torso up straight when sitting or standing.

It can also be done from a sitting position, which may be a little easier on the legs.

Front of the neck (Sternocleidomastoid, Scalenes, deep neck muscles)

To stretch the front of the neck, it is very important that you don't 'crunch' the neck. You should not simply tilt the head backwards, rather, lift up through the spine and then chin. It's a good idea to use your hands to brace your neck, as per the below left photo.

The stretch can also be done standing (below right). Again, begin with a straight posture and lift and back through the neck, don't just crunch backwards.

The stretches shown above focus specifically on the sternocleidomastoid, which is the ropey muscle that you will feel on your neck if you turn your head to the side and tilt your chin down. This is a great muscle to stretch if you are a computer-user, as overuse makes it very tight at where it joins the base of the skull.

To increase the stretch, gently place your hand on the shoulder of the side being stretched (see picture). This will pull slightly on the fascia, which when done properly will increase the stretch. Be very careful when stretching this area!

Lateral neck (Upper Trapezius, Levator Scapulae, Scalenes)

Many people who suffer from headaches will get relief from stretching those muscles which attach to the base of the skull and the vertebrae in the neck. To stretch the side of the neck, it is again important to lift up through your posture before bending your head over to one side.

To increase the stretch, place a hand on the shoulder of the side being stretched (as pictured) and pull gently down on the joint.

You can also use your hand as shown above to increase the stretch if necessary.

To focus the stretch more specifically on the trapezius, levator scapulae, and muscles attaching to the base of your skull, slowly turn your head to the side as shown above left. While this will be a strong stretch for most, you can use your hand to pull on your skull and increase the stretch (above right).

Rhomboids (between shoulder blades)

Stress and poor posture can cause the muscles in between the shoulder blades to tense up. This is a slightly less common area for computer-related issues, but most people will have a degree of tightness through here because of the structure of the trapezius muscles.

To stretch in between the shoulder blades, you are trying to separate them as much as possible. Link your hands over your knee and push forwards with your leg. This will be a milder stretch than the ones below.

To increase the stretch in between the shoulder blades, link your hands over your feet. If you push forwards with your leg, you will feel the shoulder blades spread and a stretch between them. You can do this sitting on a chair or on the floor.

To move the stretch higher or lower, experiment with raising or dropping your foot a little. In the photo above left, the foot is lower and the stretch will be closer to the neck. In the above right photo, the foot is higher and the stretch will be felt lower down the ribcage.

Cat Stretches

The following stretches - the cat stretches - all start from the above position. Place the hands directly beneath the shoulders and have the knees directly beneath the hips. If you are on a hard surface such as a wooden floor, put a cushion under your knees.

Cat Stretch - Rhomboids (between shoulder blades)

From the starting position, push away from the ground without lifting your hands or knees. You should feel a stretch across the upper back.

Cat Stretch - chest (Pectoralis Minor, Abdominals)

From the starting position, dip your chest and belly. You may feel a stretch in the abdominals or close to the shoulders, depending on where you are tightest.

The above two cat stretches can be done alternatively. Arch your back up with one breath, return to the starting position with the next breath, dip your chest with the next breath etc. Done slowly and gently, this is a great way to increase range of motion through the chest and shoulders.

Cat Stretch - Chest (Pectoralis Major and Minor, Abdominus Rectus, Latissimus Dorsi, Intercostal muscles)

The three stretches above are fantastic for a tight chest and should be done regularly by anyone spending more than a few hours per week in front of a computer (which probably means you!).

When sitting at a computer, one of the most common problems is that the shoulders are protruding and rolled inwards to use the mouse and keyboard. Over time, the chest muscles (pec minor and major especially) tighten up to the point where the entire shoulder girdle is pulled forwards. This stretch is great to counteract this tightness.

The top photo is of the standard position. The middle and bottom photos show slight variations on the position of the arms. Keeping the arms close together as per the middle photo focuses the stretch more on the lats (down the sides), whereas the bottom photo shows a stretch focusing on the pecs (chest).

Pectoralis Major

The two stretches above focus specifically on the pec major. They are the same stretch photgraphed from different angles. Lie facedown on the ground with one are out straight, then roll towards that arm, trying to keep the chest open. Don't do this if you have joint problems.

Back of the shoulder (Posterior Deltoids, Infraspinatus if you're lucky)

To stretch the back of the shoulder, raise your arm out in front of you, parallel to the ground. Do not crunch the joint; reach through the movement. Move your shoulder forwards before using your other arm to bring it across.

Rotating your forearm (the above photos show two alternatives) will subtly change the stretch.

If you raise or lower your arm, it will change the emphasis of the stretch.

Front of the shoulders (Anterior Deltoids, Coracobrachialis)

This is a strong stretch for the front of the shoulder joint, another good one to do if you spend a lot of time on the computer. You may feel it between the shoulder blades or down the sides, as it can be an effective stretch for the lats.

To increase the stretch, slide your butt forwards as per the above photo but continue to relax your chest and stomach. Bear in mind this is a very strong stretch and it probably shouldn't be attempted if you have any shoulder injuries or a high level of tension.

The two stretches above will also work on the front of the shoulder joint and the lats. Link your hands together behind your back and reach your arms upwards, bending your back if it helps.

Triceps

The triceps brachii is the muscle group which runs down the back of the arm and is used when pushing. One way of stretching them is to raise your arm above your head like shown. You can pull down with your other arm and push back with your head to increase the stretch.

Another, more relaxing way of stretching the triceps is to lie on the ground with your arms in the same position as the first triceps stretch. Pull the arm being stretched (in this photo, the right) back with your spare hand and use the weight of your head to push down. Remember, it is important that you are not crunching the joint; extend the joint and reach through the movement!

Forearm Extensors (back of the forearms, elbow)

The forearms are one of the most important areas to stretch when you type or text a lot, or play a musical instrument. These muscles are overused and prone to developing chronic injuries such as arthritis, RSI (repetitive strain injury), and inflammation at the wrist or elbow joint. Remember that the fingers are controlled by muscles in the forearm and not just the hands. Typing can affect your elbows!

To stretch the back of the forearms, straighten your arm and flex your wrist. Pull on your wrist with your other hand. To increase the stretch, curl your fingers or make a fist. Note that if you rotate your forearm, you will change the emphasis of the stretch. The two pictures above show the forearm rotated differently.

You can stretch the forearm extensors on the ground as shown. Be careful doing this as it puts a lot of pressure on the wrist joints.

Forearm Flexors (front of the forearms, wrist)

Stretching the front of the forearms is very similar to stretching the back of them. Straighten the arm, then extend the wrist backwards. Use your other hand to pull gently on the hand being stretched or the fingers.

Alternatively, do this kneeling on the ground (above right). Place the hands flat on the ground, facing away from your body, and gently lean backwards to get a stretch all the way from the wrists to the shoulders.

This stretch can also be done, quite effectively, against a wall.

Lats, muscles of the side / lateral torso (Latissimus Dorsi, Internal and External Obliques, also Pectoralis Major)

The lats are one of the most powerful muscles in the body and are prone to tightness due to reduced range of motion. We don't tend to stretch our lats (or pecs) as much as we should because our modern lifestyles don't call for as much climbing and swinging as they once might have!

One way of stretching the lats is to spread your legs to hip width apart, then lean gently to one side. To incease the stretch, raise your arm above your head.

Another way of stretching the lats (and oblique muscles) is to sit with your legs spread wide apart. This will require a decent level of hamstring and hip flexibility, so if you can't sit in the pictured position comfortably, don't attempt this variant.

Lean to one side, pushing off your knee or thigh with your hand. If you are quite flexible, raise the arm above the head and reach for your toes (photo model is not flexible enough!!!).

Abdominals (stomach muscles)

A gentle way of stretching the abs is to lie flat, face down on the ground. While being careful to lengthen the spine, slowly reach your chest forward and come up onto your elbows. If this hurts the lower back, stop.

To increase the stretch, bow the back back like shown (back back!). If you are very flexible, you can push all the way up onto your hands. Again, do not do this if it hurts the lower back.

Advanced stretch for the Erector Spinae (muscles parallel to the spine)

Let me stress that this is an advanced stretch and should not be done if any neck or back problems are present. Milder stretches should be done before attempting this. It is also fairly ungraceful to look at.

Lie flat on your back and slowly roll backwards until your feet are behind your head. As shown in the pictures, ensure there is some kind of cushioning under your neck. You can rest your arms behind you or in front of you. You should feel a strong stretch alongside the spine, from the neck to the butt, and perhaps also in the hamstrings.

Further Info

If you have any questions regarding stretching technique, or specific stretches, you can book a Sports Therapy session with our massage therapist Pete. He will also provide stretching advice during and after a massage therapy session, if required. Please contact him on (02) 9281 2960 or by email: pete@sydneytherapies.com