Massage Therapy CEs | Massage Concepts and Techniques

Stretching Anatomy

Stretching Anatomy for Massage Therapists: Enhancing Flexibility, Recovery, and Client Care

Unlock the power of informed flexibility with our Stretching Antomy course — a continuing education course designed to elevate your massage practice and improve client outcomes. Whether you’re helping clients recover from muscular tension, increase their range of motion, or simply improve posture and movement efficiency, this course provides the insight and tools you need.

Based on the textbook Stretching Anatomy, this course goes far beyond traditional stretching instruction. You’ll learn the how, why, and when of each stretch with visual clarity—thanks to full-color anatomical illustrations that show the muscles engaged in every movement. You’ll also gain critical insight into how variations in positioning affect stretch intensity, muscle emphasis, and overall safety—perfect for tailoring care to individual needs and conditions.

Highlights include:

* Detailed Stretch Breakdowns for the neck, shoulders, arms, trunk, hips, legs, and feet

* Three Levels of Difficulty for every stretch—ideal for beginners, advanced clients, and post-injury recovery

* Customizable Stretching Programs to target problem areas or support athletic performance

* Hands-On Application for integrating safe, effective stretching into your sessions or client self-care routines

This course is ideal for massage therapists who want to deepen their anatomical knowledge, offer smarter home care recommendations, or confidently incorporate stretching into treatment plans. By the end of the course, you’ll have a comprehensive, body-region-specific understanding of stretching mechanics, along with new skills to enhance both therapeutic touch and movement education.

Feel the difference. See the anatomy. Stretch with purpose. Enroll today and take your clinical care to a new level.

Massage Therapy continuing education CEs awarded: 14

Course classification: Cognitive (course materials consist of concepts related to massage therapy but do not teach a specific hands-on modality). "General" for CE Broker purposes, which means that only 5 CEs will apply to a Florida license renewal. You must provide your massage license number prior to taking the online exam if you want us to report your completion to CEBroker on your behalf.

Approved by: Institute of Somatic Therapy (Judith Koch) is approved by the NCBTMB (Provider #280672-00) as a continuing education Approved Provider. Institute of Somatic Therapy is approved by Florida (#MCE-326), and New York (#0019). Our courses are also valid for AMTA, ABMP, and most individual states. Some states limit how many hours can be done online or by home study. Please refer to our State Guidelines section for specific information about your state. Laws can and do change, and your state will hold you responsible for knowing the laws that apply to you.

Enrollment Options:

Materials by mail, and online test: $119 plus shipping
"Test Only", you will provide your own textbook and take the online test: $79 Because many of our students already own this text, or prefer to purchase a used copy, we now offer the test and continuing education credits in order to accomodate each student's individual preference on how they obtain the textbook. By enrolling in the "test only" option, nothing will be mailed to you. The "test only" option from us is just that, the test only. There is no separate course materials from us beyond the online test. We can email you a study guide at your request. When you log in to access the course through our site, all you will be able to access is the online test.

Testing: You complete your test online, and immediately upon passing, print your certificate.

Course Materials: Textbook: Stretching Anatomy (Nelson, Kokkonen), Third edition

Publisher's Description of Textbook: See inside every stretch—and maximize flexibility! Stretching Anatomy will arm you with the knowledge to increase range of motion, supplement training, enhance recovery, and maximize efficiency of movement. You’ll also gain a detailed understanding of how each stretch affects your body.

Stretching Anatomy is like having an X-ray of each stretch, only better. Not only do you see full-color illustrations of the muscles in action, but you also find out how changes in position can alter the muscle emphasis and difficulty and how variations can improve safety and effectiveness.

Each exercise includes detailed instruction on how to stretch, when to stretch, primary and secondary muscle emphasis, and which muscles are activated for support. Stretching programs provide three levels of difficulty, including light stretching that can be used as a warm-up or to aid in recovery from soreness or injury. And summary movement tables show how to customize stretching programs to focus on key problem areas.

Whether it is increased flexibility or reduced muscle soreness or tension, Stretching Anatomy allows you to see and feel the benefit of proper stretching technique.

Contents

Chapter 1. Neck

Chapter 2. Shoulders, Upper Back, and Upper Chest

Chapter 3. Arms, Wrists, and Hands

Chapter 4. Lower Trunk

Chapter 5. Hip

Chapter 6. Knees and Thighs

Chapter 7. Calves and Feet

If you are interested in this massage therapy CEU course, other courses that might be of interest to you are: Faciliated PNF Stretching, Sports and Exercise Massage

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Will this course teach me how to incorporate stretching techniques into my massage sessions?

Yes. This course provides step-by-step guidance on how to integrate effective stretching techniques into your massage practice. You'll learn when and how to apply specific stretches safely, how to adjust intensity based on client needs, and how to use stretching as part of warm-up, recovery, or injury care strategies.

Does the course cover how different stretch positions affect muscle engagement and outcomes?

Absolutely. One of the unique strengths of this course is its focus on position-based variations. You'll see detailed anatomical illustrations that show how shifting a limb or adjusting body posture can change the primary and secondary muscles involved in a stretch, helping you fine-tune your techniques for greater precision and results.

Are there specific stretching protocols for different client conditions or body regions?

Yes. The course includes structured stretching programs by body region—neck, shoulders, hips, lower trunk, etc.—with scalable difficulty levels. You'll learn how to customize routines to target common problem areas, support rehabilitation, or assist athletic clients in optimizing their flexibility and movement efficiency.

Do you report our course completions to the NCBTMB, ABMP, AMTA, or any other agencies?

None of these agencies have a method for us to report to them on your behalf. They prefer that you provide the evidence of CEs that their renewal process details. We report only to CE Broker for states that use that system, only if you have provided your license number prior to completing the online exam.

To contact the Institute of Somatic Therapy about this or any other massage therapy CEU course, please go to the "contact" link above. Thank you.