Butch Phelps and The Muscle Repair Shop
I’m Butch Phelps, founder of The Muscle Repair Shop and the Stretch n Release Technique. Our mission is to help clients regain the freedom of movement they once had and age more pain-free. I created the “Stretch n’ Release Technique” after 15 years of studying Aging Sciences, Neuromuscular massage, Active Isolated stretching, and how the brain affects our ability to release our muscles. This was out of necessity to solve my own pain, more than just pure education.
Experience and Credentials
Butch has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Aging Sciences which focuses on how we age, both mentally and physically from age 30 on. His studies have allowed him to better understand how our muscles and bones can break down as we grow older and how we can correct most of the common ailments older people suffer from. He has also studied the mental side of aging and how our brains are affected by lifestyles and diets. More specifically, the emotional side of getting older and how to improve our lives.
Butch is a Certified Health Coach from the United States Health Foundation.
Butch coaches his clients to improve their lifestyle choices and eating habits to improve their chances of living a more pain-free life by using health assessments and collaborating with his clients to find the best paths to a healthier life.
Butch Phelps, B.S., L.M.T. – My Story
Like many of you, I was a back pain sufferer brought on by years of not knowing how my body worked. At age 18 I was in severe car crash that left me with a broken pelvis and a broken upper arm. By my mid-thirties I weighed over 300 lbs. and spent 18 months losing 105 lbs. I learned how to never gain it back. I then worked out like crazy and built a body that everyone would envy on the outside, but I was dying on the inside. You see in all that time, no one talked to me about the true role my muscles played.
At age 40, I was in terrible shape. I would crawl out of my car on my hands, then pull myself upright with the door handles. I would get out of bed by rolling off onto my knees and walking up the handles on my dresser just to stand. Sitting or standing for long periods created more pain. I am sure you can probably relate. I tell you this, so you understand my technique was created out of necessity for me. That was 20 years ago and I am in better shape today and have no pain compared to that time.
Why does this work?
Our health care system is built for symptom-based care, not chronic-based care. Meaning, the goal is to solve the pain regardless of the cause.Our muscles apply pressure to the bones so we can walk, pick up things with our hands, or any movement. This is stretching, but not like what you have seen at the gym or stretch classes.
The truth is, our brain plays a bigger role in stretching than anything else. If we fear the movement will cause pain, out brain will not let us do it. This is called “Fight or Flight Syndrome.” When we add too much pressure or hold the stretch for too long of time, the brain thinks someone is trying to hurt us and contracts the muscle to stop the pain. This converts stretching into strength training.
True stretching is about releasing emotionally. the tension in the muscle, so that physically the muscles can let go. When that happens the pressure comes off the joints, spine, nerves, and blood system. At that point the body is in a relaxed state. Your body can get there in 10-15 minutes a day, but it must be done every day. We will show you how.
Stretching is a vital part of maintaining a healthy body into old age.
Due to our limited knowledge of stretching, people make these 4 key mistakes.
1) Holding the stretch too long. Most people hold stretches for 15-60 seconds each. Your muscles have a stretch reflex that goes off in 5 seconds. When a muscle is tight, never hold for more than 5 seconds.
2) Pulling too hard. The harder we pull, the more pain we create, the more the brain fights back. You are doing strength training disguised as stretching.
3) Working too many muscles at a time. Stretching is not multi-tasking, give the brain the opportunity to let one muscle go at a time.
4) Only stretching when there is pain. Stretching is more like eating. You must do it every day just like your pet does.
Want to live a life without pain and enjoy the things you love doing?
Let us show you the cause, then teach you how to prevent it from coming back. The key is how much work you are willing to do at home. If you can give us 15 minutes twice a day, we will show you how easy it is to live PAIN-FREE. Once they become habits, you just do it. How easy is that?
You can read about these in more detail on my blog at Stretch n’ Release Blog.
The Tennis Ball Massage and How It Works
In today’s article, I want to spend some time on the tennis ball massage. I have heard from many of you about the difficulty you are having with the tennis ball. Some complain they are not feeling anything, some say they cannot get the same result as I do with my...
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1217 East South Dr., Suite 207
Sarasota, FL 34239
