Guest Book Review by Michelle Holtom, PAA L1 Member
Prescriptive Stretching – Eliminate pain and prevent injury (2nd Ed) is a comprehensive guide to stretching. The first part of this book guides the reader through the fundamentals of stretching including a basic overview of anatomy and physiology, the principles of stretching and the importance of stretching correctly with good technique. I particularly loved the section discussing the importance of posture and how improving posture could reduce pain levels for many people.
The second part of the book covers targeted stretches for many of the major muscles of the body. This section includes information on the function and location of each muscle along with any causes and symptoms of tightness and pain. A handy flexibility test is provided for each muscle, allowing the reader to assess how tight a muscle is for themselves. Detailed anatomical drawings and line drawings also accompany the step-by-step instructions on set up and stretching technique. This section of the book is very comprehensive and is a useful resource for using with clients.
Part three provides stretching programs for pain relief for common aches and pains including headaches, back pain, neck stiffness and shoulder pain. It also covers conditions such as runner’s knee, tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. The targeted stretches detailed in part two are used in these stretching programs. As I was reading the e-book version, it was easy to refer back to the original stretches, no flicking through pages required.
As a Pilates Instructor who teaches many older clients with joint mobility issues and pain, I found this book to be highly informative. I would recommend this book to Pilates professionals and other movement practitioners and I believe that it is an invaluable resource for your professional library.
Human Kinetics
Books for review are kindly supplied by Human Kinetics.
PAA Members may enjoy a 20% discount on Human Kinetics books – Login in to your membership and check the Member Benefits page under Resources for the discount code and directions.
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