Static stretching has been around since the dawn of time, and is still widely respected in the health and fitness world. Despite possibly other, better techniques for warming up, static stretching is still recommended by many trainers and professionals for use before a workout begins. But have you ever heard of spray-and-stretch, or post-isometric isolation? No? Let’s take a look at a few less common methods of stretching.

But first, why should you change your stretching regimen at all? In all honesty, if static stretching is working for you, then it is probably a good idea to keep doing it. The techniques that will be described in this article are more advanced types of stretching and manual therapy, and are more appropriate for releasing trigger points that can cause pain in certain parts of the body.

Spray and stretch techniques involve stretching a body part and spraying a vaporized liquid anesthetic onto a body part. The anesthetic is typically sprayed on the muscle that has a painful trigger point. The purpose of this stretch is to get the contracted muscle fibers to relax and release without pain. The anesthetic dulls the pain of the trigger point, while the stretch encourages the tissues to relax. Ideally, this type of stretching can eliminate trigger points.

Post-isometric relaxation involves actually contracting a trigger point before attempting to stretch and release it. By contracting the muscle first, the Golgi tendon organs that prevent overstretching may be inhibited for a short while, allowing the muscle to stretch further than it would be able to under ordinary conditions. This type of isometric contraction and stretch has been used to great effect by athletic trainers and health experts attempting to increase flexibility in their clients.

Finally, trigger point pressure release or deep digital pressure can be used to reduce trigger points. Increasing amounts of pressure are applied to a trigger point until there is a reaction in the muscle or until the patient reacts with pain. The pressure can be applied until the trigger point releases, with great pressure then applied to the pain threshold of the client. However, this technique should be reserved for patients who are able to feel pain at the trigger point or referred areas and provide feedback to the health professional.

While static and dynamic stretching have their places in any fitness program, more advanced techniques can be used when back pain or other myofascial pain is present. After a search for trigger points has turned up one, such techniques as spray and stretch, post-isometric relaxation, and pressure release can be utilized to eliminate the sources of pain.