Hip and Shoulder Mobility Drills

What is Traction?
Traction refers to the decompression of the hip or shoulder joint-capsule.  Both the head of the humerus and head of the femur can be tractioned to create space in the joint-capsule.  Fifty percent of range of motion is in the joint-capsule and the surrounding ligaments and deep muscle fibers.

As Chris Frederick (author of Stretch-to-Win) points out,

“When full ROM in a joint is inhibited, then ROM in the muscle is also restricted, because muscles attach to bones and bones connect to other bones by way of joints. The muscles that are the closest and deepest layers will react to positive or negative changes in the joint capsule. 

These muscles are shorter in length and anatomically and functionally closer to the joint capsule than the muscles that cross two or more joints; when released, therefore, they pave the way for the longer muscles to release faster and more efficiently.”

Banded Distraction

A common term used by followers of Kelly Starrett (The Supple Leopard) is “banded distraction.”  KStarr is referring to joint-capsule traction.  Ann and Chris Frederick (Stretch-to-Win®) use the term traction – same concept.  In addition to creating space in the joint-itself, traction relaxes the nervous system – which you could say ‘distracts’ the nervous system to allow for a deeper stretch.

When to Use Hip and Shoulder Traction

Traction can be used before, between, and after stretches.  If you are extremely tight in the glutes and hip, you may want to begin with traction, stretch your hips and then traction again at the end.  This hip and shoulder traction combo can also be used on it’s own as a quick mobility sequence pre-workout.

While this combo focuses on traction itself, traction should be applied during all of your stretches.   Lengthening the spine during lower body stretches (glutes) and using bands not only to stretch muscles, but also to create space in the joint-capsule during the stretch (lats).

– Kevin Kula, “The Flexibility Coach” – Creator of FlexibilityRx™ 

Related Resources
Elite FTS: Prehabilitation for Bigger PRs (link)
Stretch to Win: PT-on-the-Net – Improving Squat Patterning (link)

Tags: banded distraction, hip mobility drills, hips below parallel squat, improving hip flexibility, injury prevention, knee valgus squat, knees out squat, prehab, squat therapy, Stretch to Win, tight hips squat