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In this episode, Dr. Westley Kuns of Kuns Chiropractic Clinic in Gresham, Oregon, tackles a surprising truth about one of the most common pieces of health advice out there: stretching. While most people assume that more stretching always means better results, Dr. Kuns explains how certain stretching habits can actually make pain worse instead of better.
Drawing from real patient experiences in his clinic, Dr. Kuns walks listeners through the most frequent stretching mistakes he sees and why they backfire. Whether you’re dealing with chronic discomfort or just trying to stay active and healthy, this episode will change the way you think about your daily routine.
Tune in to learn what to do instead, so your efforts to feel better are actually working in your favor.
Hey there, and welcome back. I’m Doctor Westley Kuns, here at Kuns Chiropractic Clinic in Gresham, Oregon. And today we’re talking about something that I think is going to surprise a lot of you.
Stretching. Most of us grew up thinking stretching is always good. Always helpful. The more you stretch, the better, right? Well… not exactly. And I see this in my office all the time. Someone comes in with pain that just won’t go away, and when we start talking, I find out they’ve actually been stretching, trying to help themselves. Which is great. The intention is wonderful. But sometimes the way they’re doing it is actually making things worse.
So let’s talk about some of the most common stretching mistakes I see, and what you can do instead.
The first big one is stretching into pain. Now here’s the thing, there’s a difference between a stretch sensation and actual pain. A gentle pulling feeling, a mild tension, that’s normal. But if you’re pushing through sharp pain, burning, or anything that makes you wince, your body is sending you a signal. And that signal is, stop. When you stretch into pain, you can actually cause more irritation to the tissue, more inflammation, and more guarding in the muscles. The muscle tightens up even more as a protective response. So if it hurts to stretch it, back off. Find the edge where you feel the stretch without the pain, and work there.
The second mistake is bouncing. And I still see this one a lot. Bouncing through a stretch, what’s called ballistic stretching, sends rapid signals to your nervous system that actually trigger the muscle to contract. It’s a protective reflex. So instead of releasing tension, you’re creating micro-tears and telling the muscle to tighten up. Slow, steady, and held. That’s the approach that actually works. Hold a stretch for about twenty to thirty seconds, breathe through it, and let the tissue relax naturally.
Here’s another one, and this is a big one for people with back or neck pain. Stretching the wrong area. You know what I hear a lot? People say, my hamstrings are so tight, so they stretch and stretch and stretch their hamstrings every day. And nothing changes. That’s because sometimes what feels tight isn’t actually the problem. It might be a movement pattern issue, a hip issue, or something going on in the spine. Stretching something that doesn’t need to be stretched won’t fix the underlying cause. And in some cases, it can actually irritate an already unstable area.
So what should you do instead? First, pay attention to your pain. If a stretch consistently makes your symptoms worse, stop doing it and talk to someone. Second, focus on gentle movement over aggressive stretching. Things like slow range of motion exercises, walking, or gentle mobility work are often far safer and more effective than forcing a deep stretch. Third, warm up first. Stretching cold, tight tissue, especially first thing in the morning, is much harder on the body. Take a short walk, do some light movement, get the blood flowing, and then stretch.
And here’s a really important point. If your pain keeps coming back no matter what you do, stretching isn’t the answer by itself. There’s likely something structural or mechanical going on that needs to be evaluated. That’s exactly what we do here at Kuns Chiropractic. We look at how your spine and joints are moving, find the areas that are restricted or irritated, and help restore proper function. A lot of times, once the joint is moving the way it should, that chronic tightness starts to ease up on its own.
So if you’ve been stretching faithfully and still not getting relief, please come in and let us take a look. We’re right here in Gresham, and we would love to help you figure out what’s actually going on.
Thank you so much for listening today. I hope this gave you something useful to think about the next time you roll out that yoga mat. If you have questions, give us a call or stop by. We’re always happy to chat. This is Doctor Westley Kuns, from Kuns Chiropractic Clinic, and we’ll see you next time. Take care of yourselves, Gresham.
