Stretching Guru Brad Walker visits Lifestyle Therapies
We recently had the pleasure of a visit from Brad Walker, author of The Stretching Handbook. Brad took the physios through his philosophy on stretching and by the end had everyone up performing his favourite stretches. But his message is clear, just because a particular stretch is good for one person don’t assume it’s going to be good for everyone. It’s important to get advice on the right stretches for your condition.
Brad contributed an article on Flexibility for the Pyramid Of Performance which you can read here. Another point Brad made was you don’t necessarily stretch muscles where you perceive there is dysfunction. Sometimes you need to stretch the opposing muscles, an example he gave was with upper back and neck pain. Particularly for people who spend long hours on the computer, sometimes it’s more important to stretch the chest muscles, not the upper back. Ask your Lifestyle Physiotherapist for advice or if you are unable to do that, you can purchase Brad’s popular book or DVD, The Stretching Handbook.

Brad Walker with physios from Lifestyle Therapies
Hi, my name is Ricardo. I’ve had shin splints for over a year now and I am absolutely desperate, willing to try anything! I am a college student and it is often very difficult to concentrate with this terrible pain. I haven’t exercised for over a year (besides bicycling when necessary and swimming). I take Ibuprofen sometimes, but I am reluctant to rely on them. I was wondering if anyone knows any stretches that would help me significantly. I am 19 years old and starting to become overweight as a result of this incessant and tragic pain. I’ve also been to the my doctor several times, but to no avail: they say I will “heal” in time, but I’ve almost lost all hope. Can this be permanent? Thanks!!
Hi Ricardo,
thanks for dropping by.
You could try what ironman Kieran did for his shin splints.
Get them here.
Q magnets should help but they probably won’t “cure” it. You will still need to rest, perform corrective exercises and follow a rehabilitation program. The beauty about Q magnet therapy is that it acts 24/7 while you are wearing it.
Regards,
James Hermans