If you are experiencing stiffness or tension in the hamstrings which don’t seem to be muscular, it could be your nerves restricting your range of motion. The good news is we can elongate our nerves with a hamstring floss stretch.
“When people are trying to stretch their hamstrings and it hurts, they tend to think it’s a tight muscle or fascia, but in many instances, a branch of the sciatic nerve is caught up in a muscle,” says Robert Silverman, a chiropractor in White Plains, New York, and self-professed proponent of “freeing the nerve.”
What is a nerve stretch?
A nerve stretch is when we safely elongate the nerves in the body. In this instance, we will be working on the tibial nerve and fibular nerve.
In yoga, you can begin to feel a nerve stretch in a yoga class about a minute into a stretch. If you feel a tingling or a buzzing like a bee, that is your central nervous system resetting.
There are three structures and sheaths to the nerve. They are:
Epineurium: A casing of connective tissue enclosed around the nerve.
Perineurium: Lays within the epineurium. The perineurium separately encases each bundle of the nerve fibers.
Endoneurium: is the deepest level as it encases each individual nerve fiber.
How far can you stretch a nerve?
Studies show that when a nerve is put under a load of tension a safe stretch is between 11-20%. Further loading can result in injury.
Injury means that you are going to make the nerve stiffer and you will need a long period of recovery time.
This type of stretching is not a no pain no gain. It’s if you feel pain, game over. Now it’s time to recover.
Not only will you suffer from the pain of the nerve and the inability to stretch it for a long time, but you can also impact the blood flow and impair nerve function. For a small bruising of the nerve, you can expect it to be 6-12 weeks to recover. If you have cut the nerve that is much more serious. The nerve grows 1mm a day with a rest period of 4 weeks. Then you will have to work on the recovery post your rest period.
Pushing it too far is just not worth it!
Factors affecting nerve plasticity
- Injury
- Adhesions or scar tissue
- Deformities
- Sutures
How can I safely stretch and floss my Hamstrings?
Nerves respond very differently to muscles when they are stretched. Nerves need to be elongated by a sliding or gliding motion.
Recoverable elongation is achieved by short high force duration. This is not something we will be practicing as we want to have permanent elongation. This is achieved by warming up the nerves, with low force and a long period of time.
What is nerve flossing
Nerve flossing techniques aim to move the nerve along its distribution by lengthening or shortening that path that the nerve must travel from its source at the spinal cord to it’s end-point in the hands or feet. A variety of techniques have been proposed, and generally fall into two camps; sliding techniques and tensioning techniques
How do I know if my nerves are tight?
There are several ways to tell if your nerve is tight.
- If you can sit deeper in your split than your standing split, with tightness in the outer hamstring then you have nerve restriction. Just like me.
- The second method you can use is a forward fold. If you can go deep into your fold forward with pointed feet than flexed feet, you have nerve restriction.
- You feel a line of tightness where the nerve lays on the outer quadriceps. You may also feel a restriction in the middle of the calf.
- If you have been stretching your hamstrings for a month and you are not seeing results, it’s the nerves restricting the range of motion, not the muscle.
How do the nerves affect your flexibility?
“The nerves are the part of the body that is setting your physical limitations. If they’re in healthy condition, they give your body permission to move deeper.” Owner of Sky Ting Yoga Kimmy Kellum says
How to measure your progress?
Take before and after photos. I have thought I was a certain level in the past and I was convinced I didn’t have any changes. When I looked back at my photographs I could see that my training had greatly improved my flexibility.
Before Flossing
Before you start the program there are a few warnings that need to be said.
- Nerve flossing shouldn’t be painful. If you start to feel pain, stop.
- While doing nerve flossing exercises, try to keep your muscles relaxed.
- Don’t hold your breath. Keep breathing into your belly.
- Start slowly and only do a few repetitions at a time until your body adjusts.
Myofascial Release
Myofascial Release is a safe and very effective technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue. By applying for myofascial release prior to stretching it can allow the stretch to become more effective.
Tools that can be used for myofascial release are:
- Foam rollers
- Peanut massage ball
- Massage ball
How to use myofascial release tools:
Gently roll the apparatus underneath the affected area. In this instance, it would be the hamstring. When you feel a point of tension then hold the apparatus on that point for two minutes.
Then continue to roll until the next point of tension. Continue until you have the whole leg done.
When using these methods it’s imperative that you stretch immediately afterward otherwise the effects are short-lived and will only last for 24 hours.
Supine Flossing Methods for the Hamstrings
Middle Flossing Stretch For The Hamstring
How To:
- Laying on your back with your knees bent.
- Extend one leg towards the sky.
- The second leg extends on the mat.
- Bring your hands around the hamstring of the leg extended towards the sky.
- Draw the thigh closer to the chest.
- Extend the leg.
- Hold for 6 seconds.
- Bend the knee and draw the foot to the glute.
- Repeat until you feel a little less tension.
Outer Hamstring Flossing Stretch
How To:
- Laying on your back with your knees bent.
- Extend one leg towards the sky.
- The second leg extends on the mat.
- Take the leg across the hips 10 – 15 degrees.
- Bring your hands around the hamstring of the leg extended towards the sky.
- Draw the thigh closer to the chest.
- Extend the leg.
- Hold for 6 seconds.
- Bend the knee and draw the foot to the glute.
- Repeat until you feel a little less tension.
Inner Hamstring Flossing Stretch
How To:
- Laying on your back with your knees bent.
- Extend one leg towards the sky.
- The second leg extends on the mat.
- Take the leg away from the body 10 – 15 degrees.
- Bring your hands around the hamstring of the leg extended towards the sky.
- Draw the thigh closer to the chest.
- Extend the leg.
- Hold for 6 seconds.
- Bend the knee and draw the foot to the glute.
- Repeat until you feel a little less tension.
Cross Floss Hamstring Stretch
How To:
- From a standing position elevate the leg onto a block.
- Turn your hips towards the elevated leg.
- Then return to the starting position.
- Repeat until you feel the ease of tension.
Nerve Flossing The Lateral Leg With A Strap
How To:
- Lie on your back on the floor.
- Loop your stretching strap (you can use a large towel also) under your foot, pull your leg diagonal across your body towards your shoulder. Keep your other leg long.
- Flex and point your ankle against your strap like you pumping a gas pedal.
Nerve Flossing The Medial Leg With A Strap
How To:
- Lie on your back on the floor.
- Loop your stretching strap (you can use a large towel also) under your foot.
- Flex and point your ankle against your strap like you pumping a gas pedal.
Nerve Flossing The Inner Leg With A Strap
How To:
- Lie on your back on the floor.
- Loop your stretching strap (you can use a large towel also) under your foot.
- Draw the foot and leg away from the body around 15 degrees.
- Flex and point your ankle against your strap like you pumping a gas pedal.
Flossing The Sciatic Nerve
Seated flossing for Sciatica Version #1
How To:
- Begin seated with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Extend the chin towards the sky while extending one leg.
- Bend the knee and bring it back to the floor while resetting the chin to the starting position.
- Repeat until you feel a little relief.
Seated flossing for Sciatica Version #2
How To:
- Begin seated with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Bring your chin to your chest.
- extending one leg.
- Bend the knee and bring it back to the floor while resetting the chin to the starting position.
- Repeat until you feel a little relief.
I hope you enjoy my guide on how to stretch and floss the hamstrings. Make sure you take photos I can’t wait to see some of your results.
If you need to release tension in your hamstring muscles then follow my guide 11 stretches to lengthen the hamstrings.
In happiness and health,
Vanessa Barthelmes
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