Assisted Stretching (AIS)

There are different kinds of stretching. In their homes, I encourage my clients to do any kind of stretching that they are willing and able to do safely without risk of injury.

In clinical practice, I use Aaron Mattes' method of Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) because it brings quick and effective results in alleviating pain and stiffness. In an assisted stretching session, I assist or help you do the stretch for best results. The stretches can then be learned and done at home by yourself.

Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) is a manual technique that combines a series of short, controlled stretches with intervals of relaxation, which overrides your muscles' tendency to contract when stretched tight. AIS makes your body more flexible, and also conditions it by strengthening the muscle opposite to the one being stretched.

Benefits of Stretching

Sports superstars and newborns share one thing in common - optimal flexibility. Many active people truly understand the health benefits of having a flexible body. Human movement is especially enjoyable and rewarding when the body is flexible and capable of free and easy mobility without restriction. Those who wish to restore ease of movement, relaxation, and improved activity would be wise to include stretching techniques in their daily schedules.

Flexibility is an important aspect of health. Flexibility is not a general factor, overall to the entire body, but is specific to each joint. This means that a person can be flexible in some areas of the body, and may be severely restricted in other areas, and may not even be aware of some areas of tightness. Work or exercise that repeatedly overuses the same muscles day after day confines joints within a restricted range of motion and tends to reduce flexibility. Accident or injury may also limit flexibility and range of motion. In spite of our best attempts to avoid the inevitable aging process, older people generally succumb to a constricted, stiff posture due to loss of flexibility. Trauma, overuse and age are the most common causes of muscle tightness resulting in stiff, rigid postures.

Fortunately, individuals can maintain a healthier homeostatic, pain-free state, and enjoy a better quality of lifestyle through restoring flexibility through proper stretching.

Stretching can also improve a variety of chronic health ailments, including many conditions that are considered untreatable except by surgery.

Flexibility is possibly the most important factor in the longevity of an athlete and is key in the prevention and recovery of sports injuries. For athletes, flexibility and proper stretching play a very important role for enhancing performance, rehabilitation, and wellness.

Stretching can:

Optimize muscle and tendon range of motion.
Improve flexibility and health of muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Invigorate the circulatory, respiratory, and neuromuscular systems.
Alleviate many of the symptoms of stress.
Creates mechanical, bioelectrical and bio-chemical responses that promote improved circulation, increased oxygenation, and a more efficient nervous system.
Facilitate the flow of lymphatic fluid that allows the body to channel waste and toxic products out of the body. (Improved oxygenation eliminates carbon dioxide formation and improved circulation eliminates lactic acid buildup.)
Reduce risk of muscle, tendon, ligament, and joint injuries, such as strain and tear.
Reduce postural tightness due to aging.
Rehabilitate muscles, tendons, and ligaments where there are injuries.
Promote growth and repair of myofascial structures. (Break down the friction and gluing among fascial sheathes, separate fibrosis and break down adhesions that my result from trauma or inflammation, and realign collagen fibers.)
Improve preparation for athletic activity. (Warm-up stretches facilitate increased blood shunting to muscles, increased body temperature, reduced muscle tension, heightened neuromuscular integration, and improved connective tissue pliability.)
Enhance athletic performance. (Optimal flexibility requires less energy expenditure, allowing for increased stamina and enhances speed, agility, and strength.)
Reduce spasms, splinting, and tension.
Recover more quickly from athletic activity. (Muscle stiffness is reduced as excess lactic acid buildup is removed.)
Maximize potential and level of athletic performance. (Athletes increase their career span by reaching peak performance sooner and sustaining it longer.)

One of the primary obstacles to flexibility of a joint is the tightness of the surrounding fascia. Fascia is a three-dimensional fibrous matrix that provides interconnections throughout all cells of the body. Fascia surrounds muscles, bones, and joints, which gives our body structural integrity and strength. Distortion of the fascial matrix by trauma, aging, posture, hormonal or metabolic imbalances, injury and toxins disrupts the homeostasis of the body. Left untreated, these conditions promote a host of disease states. Fortunately, fascial distortions can be addressed by the use of AIS.

At Your Stretching Session: Wear loose, comfortable clothing (such as a sweat suit). Assisted stretching takes place on a massage table, chair, or stool. I will instruct you how to move the body part being stretched, and I will gently assist at the end of the stretch.

How Active Isolated Stretching is Accomplished

The specific muscle(s) to be stretched are identified and isolated.
The client contracts the opposite muscle(s).
The target muscle(s) are stretched. Meanwhile, a breathing rhythm is established when stretching, as follows: the client exhales at the end of the stretch, (Exhalation encourages muscle relaxation.), and inhales as the body part returns to the starting posture.
For maximum safety, the muscles and connective tissue (fascia) are stretched only to the point of light irritation, which provides a gentle stretch (less than one pound of pressure). The stretch is held only for 1-1/2 to 2 seconds, then release the stretch and return to the starting position.
Repeat the sequence for one or more rounds of 4 - 10 repetitions.

Originator of Active Isolated Stretching: My stretching teacher, Aaron L. Mattes, MS, RKT, LMT, has applied AIS for decades in clinical practice to improve a variety of chronic health conditions, including many that are considered untreatable except by surgery. He has also used AIS with thousands of professional athletes, Olympians, weekend warriors, and sports teams to improve their athletic performance. His training and educational background in functional anatomy and kinesiology provided a basis for his developing the innovative therapeutic technique called Active Isolated Stretching. AIS is the result of Aaron's 30 years of laboratory research, experimentation, and experience.

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