Active Isolated Stretching is the primary reason for a lengthened athletic career. Art Monk, Retired Pro Football Player, Washington Redskins
Aaron Mattes was instrumental in designing the Orioles conditioning program with special emphasis on pre-game preparation. He has enabled our athletes to increase their power and overall player performance with a dramatic reduction in injuries. Syd Thrift, Former Vice President, Baseball Operations

Sciatica Treat This Condition with Active Isolated Stretching

Sciatica has defined as pain that radiates down the sciatic nerve from the root at the spine all the way to the toes at times on both sides. There are many contributing factors for sciatica at times. Sometimes a man can get sciatica simply by having his wallet in his back pocket and then sitting on it for periods of time. The pressure caused by the wallet can cause pain. At other times the pain is caused by some sort of trauma to the low back such as a fall or from a rotatory type movement injury. At times this rotary injury is when the turn at the hips quickly before warming up the low back tissue. Most commonly we see the problem as being tight muscles that are over the top of the sciatic nerve. When the muscles that are in close proximity to the sciatic nerve are tight they tend to apply constant pressure to the nerve causing agitation.

Benefits of Using AIS

We recommend that to help alleviate the pressure that you begin by opening up the gluteal muscles first. After the gluteal muscles are flexible you will work to stretch the hamstrings out.Both of these need to be flexible and functioning properly to be able to stretch what we feel is the most important muscle to stretch for this problem, the piriformis muscle.The sciatic nerve runs directly underneath this muscle so when it is tight it is a cause of constant pressure to the nerve.Many times we open up these muscles in conjunction with the hip flexors and extensors and the sciatic pain with subside.