This textbook contains valuable information for physiotherapists, masseurs, physical education instructors and teachers, trainers, coaches, medical doctors, osteopaths, sportsmen and all those who use stretching in their work.

Within physiotherapy, manual stretching is used to remove muscle tension or spasticity and to restore normal stretchability of soft tissues. Stretching techniques are commonly used within all manual therapies to treat the tendo-muscular system.

This book contains a review of research into the effects of stretching and comparisons of different stretching techniques. The theoretical background and physiologic mechanisms are also explained. Color photographs show clearly how stretching is applied while anatomical drawings illustrate the location and direction of the muscles treated so that correct hand positions can be readily adopted and the direction of the stretch is clear. Both static and tension-relaxation stretching techniques are described and special attention is given to possible complications and contraindications.

Illustrated. Softcover, 286 pages.