The following exercises can help bring movement back into areas of the body most commonly affected by scar tissue adhesions. Practitioners recommend stretching twice a day, holding stretches for 10 to 20 seconds with 10 repetitions. Break up your workday by doing the ankle and neck exercises at your desk.
Ankle
- Ankle alphabet: Sit on a chair and let your legs dangle. Using right (then left) ankle and foot only, trace the letters of the alphabet from A to Z in the air.
- Ankle/calf stretch: Stand on a doorway sill with your heels on the floor and your toes on the sill. Rise up on your toes until you feel a stretch through both calves.
Wrist & Elbow
Since the majority of the muscles that move the wrist in all directions come from the medial and lateral sides of the elbow (inside and outside), any wrist stretch will affect the elbow.
- Wrist flexor stretch: Sit with your elbows splayed on a table until your forearms rest on the table. Begin to press your palms together until you feel a stretch.
- Wrist extensor stretch: Extend your left arm in front of you, grasp your fingers, thumb included, with your right hand and gently pull your wrist back until you feel a stretch. Hold for 20 seconds, then change sides.
Back
- Cat/Cow: Kneel on all fours with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. As you inhale, slowly lift your head and your tailbone toward the ceiling, arching your back and reaching your collarbones forward. On an exhale tuck your chin and tighten your stomach as you round your back and look at your navel.
- Spinal Twist: Sit on a chair and put your hands on your shoulders with your elbows out to the sides, parallel to the floor. Slowly twist your torso left, then right.
Lower Back
- Pelvic Tilt: Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Tip your pubic bone toward your navel as you move your navel up and back toward your spine. Release your tailbone back to the floor, relax, and repeat.
- Bridge Pose: Repeat pelvic tilt, but this time raise your buttocks off the floor as high as you can comfortably go, engaging your stomach muscles and lifting your sternum. Don’t tuck your chin.
Neck
- Neck rotation: Sit up straight. Turn your head slowly to look over one shoulder, come back to center, and look over the other.
- Neck extension: Lie on your back, knees bent, and lift your chin gently toward the ceiling. Come back to center. Repeat.
- Lateral neck flexion: Slowly tilt head toward left shoulder, using your right hand to guide. Repeat on right side.