Sports Massage Therapy & PNF Stretching Techniques for Knee Injuries

Video Transcript

"Hi! On behalf of expertvillage.com, my name is Jean Hurley from Siegels Day Spa in Cottonwood, Arizona, and we’re here today to show you some techniques for sports massage. I use a technique called PNF, and that helps the athlete himself stretch his muscles along with us so that we’re getting full extension, elongation, and oxygenation of the muscle. We’re going to work on the knees a little bit here from the posterior side. Again, we’re going to raise it and we’re going to bring it over so that he’s in a 90 degree angle here at the leg. I’m going to have him try to rotate his leg up while I’m applying slight pressure, not heavy pressure. I’m not trying to break it over his other leg. He’s going to try to raise his foot against my arm, my hand. Go ahead, using 40%. By using 40% of his muscle pressure, he’s not trying to do is full force; he’s just trying to get a nice stretch out of it. And relax. Did you feel that in the knee? Coming here, you’re going to do the same thing just using 40%. Trying to lower your leg actually. Go ahead. Muscles around the knee are contracting, and relax. Giving a little range of motion movement here. Last thing, we’re going to go to the side here, like so. You’re going to try to push your foot up against my hand, rotating in, and using 40% of your muscle mass. Great for the ACL’s, and relax. That’s a great stretch and great assessment for any knee injuries that could be moving in the foreground. "