Rehabilitation of the body requires three chief components:

 

• Mobilization of "jammed" joints so that they can freely move within a normal range.

• Relaxation of muscles, freeing them of "gristle" and restoring adequate circulation.

• Performance of therapeutic exercises to maintain and build upon changes made during office visits.

 

All three elements are essential; without any one of them, your treatment plan would be as ineffective as a two-legged stool. After receiving a treatment, however, it can be difficult to focus on learning a new exercise or stretch, let alone several of them. We therefore offer the following links to YouTube videos to help you remember how to perform the more common therapeutic exercises and stretches.

 

Please perform only the exercises and stretches that you have been prescribed. If you were instructed to do a different number of repetitions or sets than what appears below, follow your prescribed instructions instead. If you are unsure about an exercise or stretch, please contact Dr. McCrackan before attempting it.

 

Core

• Reverse salamander: 3 sets of 10 per side daily.

• Ankle-grab baby-breathing exercise: for 10 breaths, 3 times daily.

• Side planks: 40 seconds per side, three times daily.

• Hip and low-back stretches: Do the first two stretches before bed.

• Leg lifts: 5-10 reps per side, 2-3 sets daily.

• McGill’s curl-ups: 3 sets of 20 daily.

• Cat-cow: 10 breath-cycles daily.

• Oblique stretch: Hold for 10 deep breaths per side. Perform once daily.

• Psoas stretch: Skip the part with the towel.

• McKenzie back extensions (standing): 80-120 per day.

• McKenzie back extensions (prone): 80-120 per day.

• Bird dog: Hold each extension for 4-8 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10 daily.

• Stir the pot: 3 sets of 10 in each direction daily.

• Diaphragmatic breathing

• Hip hikes

• Dead bug

 

Neck/Jaw

• SCM stretch: As often as you can!

• TMJ: Sorry, but we don’t yet have a video for this exercise. Fortunately, it’s very simple: just slowly open your mouth as wide as you can. Now, keeping it all the way open, shift your jaw as far as you can to the left. If you reach a painful barrier, go no further--that's as wide as you should go. Now shift all the way to the right, still keeping your mouth as widely open as you can. Return your jaw to neutral, then close. Repeat five times, and do another set of five later. Repeat daily. 

• Basic cervical extensions: Do ten reps after work and before bed, coming up on the exhale and down on the inhale.

• McKenzie cervical extensions: Do ten per hour, using overpressure (i.e. press on the chin as shown) on the final three of each set.

 

Arms and Shoulders

• Push-ups: Also remember not to protract your head as you come down. To help with that, give yourself a double chin before you come down, then maintain that position throughout the exercise.

• Bicep curls: Stand or sit as you hold a 3- or 5-pound dumbbell with your arm fully extended at your side, elbow relatively straight. Rotate your forearm so that your knuckles face forward and palm faces behind you. Bring your shoulders back and down, then lift the weight toward your face. As you lift, rotate your forearm again so that your knuckles continue to face forward. Be very careful not to let your neck crane forward or to either side as you lift. Do 3 sets of 10 every other day.

• Biceps stretch (AKA the Dr. J stretch): Stand with your palm facing forward and elbow straight. Bring your arm as far back behind you as you can, then rotate your forearm so that the palm now faces behind you.

• Brugger exercise: Do this one as often as you can, at least thirty times daily.

• Wall angels: 1 set of 10 after every hour seated. Synchronize the exercise with your breathing: bring your arms down on the inhalation, keep pulling down until you're ready to exhale, then raise your arms as you exhale. Repeat when you're ready to inhale again.

• Lat cable pull-downs: 3 sets of ten every other day.

• Lat stretch: 40 seconds per side, three times daily.

• Codman’s exercise: 1 minute each direction, 3 times daily.

• Supraspinatus lifts: 2-3 sets of 10 every other day. The crease of your elbow should be facing forward. Take three seconds to raise, then three seconds to lower.

• Infraspinatus lifts: 3 sets of 15 every other day.

• Pec major stretch

  1. ​Stand in a doorway with your left elbow bent at 90° and at shoulder height and with your elbow and wrist against the door frame.

  2. With your left foot, take a small step forward.

  3. Use your feet to twist your hips--not your head--to the right until you feel a stretch in your left chest.

  4. Hold the stretch as you breathe in and out, deeply and slowly, for five breaths.

  5. Repeat on the other side.

• Pec minor stretch: Same as above but with elbow level with your eyes.

• Drawing the sword: 3 sets of 10 every other day.

• Wrist-flexor active isolated stretch: 3 sets of 10, three times daily.

• Wrist-extensor stretch: 30 seconds per side, three times daily.

• Posterior shoulder "sleeper" stretch: hold for 30 seconds three times daily.

 

Hips, Legs, and Feet

• Heel raises: Do 15 reps before working out.

• Hip-flexor stretch: Skip the part with the towel. Do 10 reps per side twice daily.

• Supine piriformis stretch: Do the psoas stretch first. Hold for 30 seconds per side. Do twice daily plus an extra set after each 2 hours seated.

• Squats: 3 sets of 20 daily.

• Single-leg squats: 1 set of 5 per side daily.

• Quad stretch

• Hamstring stretch: Extend the knee for 5 seconds. Do 5 reps per side.

• Active isolated hamstring stretch: You'll have to scroll down to it.

• Active isolated calf stretch: Watch just until 1:00.

• Adductor tubing: I couldn't find a video for this exercise, but it's pretty simple. Just tie one end of the tubing or resistance band to something heavy that's a few feet to the left of your left ankle, then tie the other end to your left ankle. Begin with your legs spread, your left leg flat on the floor, and your right knee bent with foot planted on the floor. Drag your left leg along the floor to bring your left knee to your right foot, then return. Next, bring your left knee to your right mid-calf, then return. Finally, bring your left knee to your right knee, then return. That's one set--do ten sets per side every other day.

• Plantar fasciitis rehab

• Gluteus medius self-massage: up to 5:57.

• Gluteus medius low-intensity exercise: up to 6:55.

• Gluteus medius workout with tubing/band: up to 4:39.

• Vele's lean

• Adductor lifts

• Intrinsic foot strengthening

  • Toe taps (up to 6:21)--do 10 reps per foot in each direction.

  • Toe squeezes (up to 7:43)--do 10 reps per foot in each direction.

  • Toe rolls (up to 8:40)--do 10 reps per foot in each direction.

 

Icing Acute Injuries

After stretching, use a towel to hold onto an ice cube as you rub the sorest part as directly as you can. Go beyond the cold stage, beyond the burning, until you don’t really feel any temperature there at all. This should take about ten minutes. Repeat 3-5 times daily.