Manual Stretch of the Latissimus Dorsi

To Stretch the Left Latissimus Dorsi:

• The patient is supine with the arms brought up overhead to the shoulder flexion barrier without pinching or producing pain in the shoulders.
• The patient’s arms are supported with a gentle longitudinal traction applied by an assistant.
• The therapist flexes the patient’s knees to chest to reduce the lumbar lordosis and to initiate the stretch from below up.
• With the knees held to the patient’s chest the therapist reaches around and grasps the left side of the patient’s pelvis with his R hand.
• The therapist then pulls the patient’s pelvis to the right to side bend the trunk to the right and stretch the L latissimus dorsi.
• The therapist holds the stretch momentarily and repeats the stretch 4 to 5 times before repeating on the opposite side.