Since the birth of my eldest son in 1998, I’ve suffered of frequent lower back due to several factors. I was taught by a good friend who does Pilates how to stretch properly and daily to help keep my back from aching so much. This has never kept me away from having to take over the counter pain meds because there are some days, my back hurts way too much. With an active life that we lead running after five kids going three different directions, it is vital for me to be able to keep on trucking. This is why I was so excited to review this book about stretching. I’ve read others and was expecting some redundancy but much to my surprise it wasn’t. First (before reading the book), I read up on the author:
Kristian Berg is a doctor of naprapathy, a medical therapy that focuses on manual manipulation and stretching of the spine and connective tissues. He has managed his own clinic in Stockholm, Sweden, since 1988. Berg participates annually in international training courses in dissection, anatomy, and manipulative techniques. At his clinic he has shown more than 30,000 patients the importance of stretching and muscular balance for overall health. Berg is also the principal at the Personal Training School and a lecturer in anatomy at the Scandinavian College of Naprapathic Manual Medicine in Stockholm. He is a highly regarded speaker on stretching and athletic training in Sweden and throughout Europe.
Before becoming a naprapath, Berg was a nationally ranked gymnast and a talented junior tennis player. More recently, he has competed as a multisport athlete and has climbed Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America. Berg currently resides in Svartsjo, Sweden.
Company’s Product DescriptionElite athletes have long relied on personalized stretching programs to improve flexibility and prevent injury. What you might not know is that many of those targeted stretches have a much broader application, one that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine: pain relief.Prescriptive Stretching features full-color anatomical illustrations and step-by-step instructions for 40 of the most effective stretches to eliminate pain, alleviate muscle soreness, improve balance and flexibility, and prevent common injuries. In addition, you’ll find sample stretching programs that you can follow as is or personalize to meet your body’s needs.Best of all, Prescriptive Stretching shows you how to quickly assess your pain and identify the stretches to reduce discomfort. Specifically, you’ll find recommendations for these common ailments:- Headache
- Back pain
- Neck stiffness
- Shoulder soreness
- Golfer’s elbow
- Tennis elbow
- Runner’s kneeWhether you’re looking to increase range of motion or simply eliminate muscle pain and discomfort, Prescriptive Stretching has you covered. Comprehensive yet easy to use, it’s the guide you’ll turn to again and again.
The author stresses the importance of daily stretching and stretching corectly to achieve maximum movement of the body. The method of stretching which the author uses is called Proprioceptive Muscular Facilitation, or PNF which is also known as “contract-release”. This method, PNF, involves stretching the muscle to the end point, relaxing, then tightening the muscle without moving, relaxing again, and then stretching towards a new end point, repeating several times. This approach allows for a better range of motion and to help the muscles.
It is really a great book to have handy at my house. I’ve been using their pages on the lower back for two weeks now and I am basically pain free…actually, it’s been three full days with no Advil when I wake up in the mornings! YAHOO!!! :) I love this book…
Here’s the Table of Contents:
Introduction
Muscles and Bones of the Human Body
Stretching Fundamentals
Targeted Stretches
Programs for Pain Relief
Assessing Flexibility and Muscle Balance
Stretch Index
References
About the Author
REQUIRED COMMENT: Visit the Prescriptive Stretching’s info page, look around, then come back and tell me why this book would come in handy for you or someone you know.
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*DISCLAIMER: I was sent this book for free to help facilitate my review. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*
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