The Mattes Method of Active Isolated Stretching
The gentle technique favored by top amateur and professional athletes that identifies, isolates, and stretches specific muscles at precise angles to:
reduce pain,
simultaneously lengthen muscles and fascia, remove trigger points, contractions, adhesions, & scar tissue,
restore flexibility and posture,
enhance performance
stimulate lymphatic drainage, &
facilitate recovery.
The Mattes Method of Active Isolated Stretching is based on nearly 40 years of research in kinesiology (how the body moves) and clinical experience in kinesiotherapy by Aaron L. Mattes, MS, RKT, LMT. It's both the deepest deep tissue massage and the ultimate form of relaxation massage. AIS sessions are done occassionally as specifically needed, but clients are trained in self-stretching as part of the treatment. AIS Strengthening is normally done at the same time to restore muscular balance.
Why AIS? 
Flexibility is the most important factor in the longevity of an athlete and is key in the prevention of and the recovery from sports injuries. A relaxed muscle can be stretched to 1.6 times in normal resting length before injury; a tight muscle isn't as resilient. The primary obstacle to flexibility is the tightness of the muscles and fascia surrounding a joint.
Prolonged stretching, long the gold standard in athletics, “actually decreases the blood flow within the tissue creating localized ischemia and lactic acid buildup. This creates a potential for “irritation or injury of local muscular, tendonous, lymphatic, and neural tissues.” -Taras Kochno, MD, Medical Director, Sports Medicine International Inc. LLC.
The Mattes Method of Active Isolated Stretching is used by many athletes, trainers, and therapists as an effective dynamic, facilitated stretch of major muscle groups. See what James Henry, the University of Michigan's award winning Head Women's Track & Field Coach has to say about AIS.
AIS follows a simple physiologic protocol
- Identify the target muscle.
- Isolate it.
- Use the opposing muscle to perform an active, rhythmic stretch for 1-1/2 seconds...
- ...while you exhale and gently assist only to the point of light irritation. Avoid pain.
- Return to the starting position and relax momentarily.
- Repeat up to 10 times.
This movement provides a slight myofascial release plus a continuous supply of blood, oxygen, nutrition, and lymph while stimulating waste removal and reinforcing the neural process. Assistance is measured in ounces. As long as the opposing muscle is active and the subject gently exhales, the nervous system sends a message ("Reciprocal Inhibition") to the target muscle to relax and lengthen. By stretching for only 1-1/2 seconds and only to the point of light irritation, AIS avoids triggering the protective stretch reflex.
AIS involves the systematic opening up of progressively deeper layers of muscles and tissue.
This eventually allows access to the deepest tissue (the core) and to parts of muscles that can't be touched from the surface (e.g., the sacral attachment of the Piriformis). As the tissue relaxes, chronic postural distortions are released and the posture realigns. AIS Strengthening then restores muscle balance across joints to help maintain your improved posture.
Performed properly, Active Isolated Stretching improves local circulation, removes contractions, adhesions, scar tissue, and trigger points painlessly, and allows restoration of the full physiologic range of motion. Result: maximal gain with minimal risk.
Gentle enough for pregnant clients
While AIS is powerful enough for elite athletes, it is gentle enough for clients who are pregnant, who have bulging discs or whiplash, are elderly, etc. The key is to avoid pain. With AIS, less (speed and assistance pressure) really is more (effective in restoring balance to the body).