Why Stretching Daily is Helpful

Patients in chronic pain often don’t know that the simple act of stretching every day can reduce their pain. There have been studies that found a combination of strengthening and stretching specific muscle groups can reduce musculoskeletal pain and encourage proper alignment. Stretching feels good because it activates your parasympathetic nervous system and increases blood flow to your muscles. It’s thought that stretching may also release endorphins which help to reduce pain and make you feel better.

So why don’t more people stretch if it’s so beneficial? One reason may be that they don’t know what to do. There are a few very simple stretches that we recommend you start with. I do each of these stretches every night before I go to bed.