STATIC STRETCHING TECHNIQUE

BY

APRIL, 2024

STATIC STRETCHING TECHNIQUES

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF STRETCHING TECHNIQUE

Human movement is dependent on the amount of range of motion (ROM) available in synovial

joints. In general, ROM may be limited by two anatomical entities: joints and muscles. Joint

restraints include joint geometry and congruency as well as the capsuloligamentous structures

that surround the joint. Muscle provides both passive and active tension: passive muscle tension

is dependent on structural properties of the muscle and surrounding fascia, while dynamic

muscle contraction provides active tension. Structurally (Figure 1), muscle has viscoelastic
properties that provide passive tension. Active tension results from the neuro-reflexive properties

of muscle, specifically peripheral motor neuron innervation (alpha motor neuron) and reflexive

activation (gamma motor neuron).

There are many factors and reasons for reduced joint ROM only one of which is muscular

tightness. Muscle “tightness” results from an increase in tension from active or passive

mechanisms. Passively, muscles can become shortened through postural adaptation or scarring;

actively, muscles can become shorter due to spasm or contraction. Regardless of the cause,

tightness limits range of motion and may create a muscle imbalance hence the need for stretching

techniques.

Stretching is a form of physical exercise in which a specific muscle or tendon (or muscle group)

is deliberately expanded and flexed in order to improve the muscle's felt elasticity and achieve

comfortable muscle tone (Weerapong et al, 2004). It is a physical exercise that requires putting

a body part in a certain position that'll serve in the lengthening and elongation of the muscle
or muscle group and thus enhance its flexibility and elasticity. The result is a feeling of

increased muscle control, flexibility, and range of motion. Stretching is also

used therapeutically to alleviate cramps and to improve function in daily activities by increasing

range of motion (Zaffagnini et al, 2016).

Stretching can be dangerous when performed incorrectly, there are many techniques for

stretching in general, but depending on which muscle group is being stretched, some techniques

may be ineffective or detrimental, even to the point of causing hypermobility, instability, or

permanent damage to the tendons, ligaments, and muscle fiber (Tsatsouline, Pavel, 2001).

Stretching is effective for the treatment of orthopedic conditions or injury and is a common

intervention performed during rehabilitation which is prescribed to increase muscle length and

range of motion (ROM), or to align collagen fibers during muscle healing. Stretching of muscle

applies tension to other structures such as the joint capsule and fascia, which are made up of

different tissue than muscle with different biomechanical properties. Stretching is often included

in physical therapy interventions for management of shoulder, back and knee pain etc, clinicians

must choose the appropriate intervention or technique to improve muscle tension based on the

cause of the tightness. Therefore, stretching generally focuses on increasing the length of a

musculotendinous unit, in essence increasing the distance between a muscle's origin and

insertion. In terms of stretching, muscle tension is usually inversely related to length: decreased

muscular tension is related to increased muscle length, while increased muscular tension is

related to decreased muscle length.

TYPES OF STRETCHING TECHNIQUE

Three muscle stretching techniques are the commonly known

1. Static Stretching

2. Dynamic Stretching

3. Pre-Contraction stretches (PNF)

Contraindications of stretching techniques

 Hypermobility

 Sharp pain during joint movement

 Hematoma or other soft tissue trauma

 Limited movement at the joint due to the presence of a boney block

 Directly after fracture when it has not completely healed

  Acute inflammation or infection

Mechanism of stretching

The stretching of a muscle fiber begins with the sarcomere, the basic unit of contraction in

the muscle fiber. As the sarcomere contracts, the area of overlap between the thick and thin

myofilaments increases. As it stretches, this area of overlap decreases, allowing the muscle

fiber to elongate. Once the muscle fiber is at its maximum resting length (all the sarcomeres

are fully stretched), additional stretching places force on the surrounding connective tissue.

As the tension increases, the collagen fibers in the connective tissue align themselves along

the same line of force as the tension. During stretching, the muscle fiber is pulled out to its

full length sarcomere by sarcomere, and then the connective tissue takes up the remaining

slack. When this occurs, it helps to realign any disorganized fibers in the direction of the

tension. This realignment is what helps in the rehabilitation of scarred tissue. The initial

changes that are produced by stretch training involve mechanical adaptations that are

followed by neural adaptations, which contrasts with the sequence observed during strength

training. When a muscle is stretched, some of its fibers lengthen, but other fibers may

remain at rest. The more fibers that are stretched, the greater the length developed by the

stretched muscle.

Stretch reflex

When muscle stretched, so is the muscle spindle. The muscle spindle records the change in

length (and how fast) and sends signals to the spine which convey this information. This

triggers the stretch reflex which attempts to resist the change in muscle length by causing
the stretched muscle to contract. The more sudden the change in muscle length, the stronger

the muscle contractions will be. This basic function of the muscle spindle helps to maintain

muscle tone and to protect the body from injury. One of the reasons for holding a stretch for

a prolonged period of time is that when a muscle is held in a stretched position, the muscle

spindle habituates and reduce its signaling. Gradually, the stretch receptors can now be

trained to allow greater lengthening of the muscles.

STATIC STRETCHING TECHNIQUE

Static stretching (SS) is a slow-paced controlled physical activity which involves putting

the body part in a comfortable position that elongates the muscle without causing pain with

low force for a prolonged duration of time. Static stretching is a type of stretching exercises

in which muscle is held in the same elongated position without movement. Static stretching

has a relaxation and elongation effect on muscle which increases range of motion (ROM),

decreases musculotendinous stiffness and also reduce risk of acute muscle strain injuries. It

is a slow, controlled movement with emphasis on postural awareness and body alignment.

SS is widely used in athletic, fitness, and clinical settings. It consists of a controlled continuous

movement to the end range of motion (ROM) of a single joint or multiple joints where the
muscle(s) remains in a lengthened position for a specific period of time. Static stretching can be

conducted by either contracting the agonist muscles (i.e., active static) or by using external

forces such as gravity, the help of a partner, or stretching aids such as elastic bands (i.e., passive

static) (Behm et al, 2016).

There are two types of static stretching:

1. Active-static stretching involves performing static stretches without assistance.

2. Passive-static stretching involves performing the stretches passively with assistance

from an external force which can be a partner, an accessory or the force of gravity.

Static Stretching can be used in

1. Physical therapy rehabilitation

2. Warm-up for sports and exercise

3. Well rounded exercise programs

Impact of Stretching on Muscle performance

Static stretching exercises were advocated to be performed before exercise sessions or

sports events as a warm up, in order to improve muscle performance and minimize risk of

injury. Reviews have found that stretching immediately prior to exercise does not prevent

injury and can lead to detrimental effect on muscle performance, therefore performing static
stretching before the main exercise session or main sport events can lead to decrease in

performance in these subsequent events (Kay et al, 2012). However, studies suggest that

there is strong evidence suggesting static stretches of below 60 seconds cause only trivial

negative effects on subsequent strength and power performances (Chaabene et al, 2019). To

understand how static stretching can lead to decline muscle performance we have to

understand the acute effect of static stretching and the effect of regular stretching.

Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Muscle:

 Decreases the visco-elastic behavior of muscle and tendon only on the short term

with no long term effect

 Decreases motor neuron excitability through inhibitory effect from the Golgi Tendon

organ and by activation of Renshaw recurrent loop (recurrent inhibition).

 Decreases the activity of motor unit.

 Decreases the activity of muscle spindles, which results in decreasing the activity of

stretch reflex.

 Decreases in sensitivity of nociceptors and joint receptors which are fundamental

mechanisms for the protection of structures involved in motion.

 Improves range of motion in the joint

 Reduces stiffness and pain in muscles

 Reduces the risk of muscle strains and other injuries

 Improves postural awareness and body posture

 Increases circulation which in return decreases recovery period after exercise

  Facilitates types III and IV joint receptors sending inhibitory drive to the motor

neuron pool.

Collectively all these acute changes in the muscle lead to decrease in force

production, performance and an increase in the risk of injury.

Effect of Regular Static Stretching on Muscle:

Regular static stretching exercise improves force and performance in activities. Its

underlying mechanism is that regular stretching induces muscle hypertrophy. It is shown

that if stretching a muscle group for 30 to 60 sec/day over months results in hypertrophy

(Chaabene et al, 2019). Panidi et al, (2021) examined the effects of a 12-week, five times per

week program of SS exercises on gastrocnemius architecture in adolescent female volleyball

players. The researchers’ results indicated larger improvements in gastrocnemius cross-sectional

area and fascicle length of the stretched leg as well as larger one-leg counter-movement jump

performance compared with the control leg. Andrade et al, (2020) investigated the effects of

12 weeks of SS training on triceps surae architecture in university students. While they did not

report any differences in gastrocnemius muscle thickness, they found changes in gastrocnemius

medialis fascicle length in the triceps surae stretching group, with no such result observed in the

control group.

EXAMPLES OF STATIC STRECTCHING AND HOW IT IS PERFORMED

Hamstring Stretch

 Sit on the ground with both legs straight out in front of

you

 Bend the left leg and place the sole of the left foot

alongside the knee of the right leg

 Allow the left leg to lie relaxed on the ground

 Bend forward, keeping the back straight

 The stretch will be felt in the hamstring of the right leg

 Repeat with the other leg

Calf Stretch

 Stand tall with one leg in front of the other, hands flat

and shoulder height against a wall.

 Ease the back leg further away from the wall, keeping it

straight and press the heel firmly into the floor

 Keep the hips facing the wall and the rear leg and spine

in a straight line

 The stretch will be felt in the calf of the rear leg

 Repeat with the other leg

Hip and Thigh Stretch

 Stand tall with your feet approximately two shoulder

widths apart

 Turn the feet and face to the right

 Bend the right leg so that the right thigh is parallel with

the ground and the right lower leg is vertical

 Gradually lower the body

 Keep your back straight and use your arms to balance

 You will feel the stretch along the front of the left thigh

and the hamstrings of the right leg

 Repeat by turning and facing to the left

Adductor Stretch

 Stand tall with your feet approximately two shoulder

widths apart

 Bend the right leg and lower the body

 Keep your back straight and use your arms to balance

 You will feel the stretch in the left leg adductor

 Repeat with the left leg

Groin Stretch

 Sit with a tall posture

 Ease both of the feet up towards the body and place the

soles of the feet together, allowing the knees to come up

and out to the side

 Resting the hands on lower legs or ankles and ease both

knees towards the ground

 The stretch will be felt along the inside of the thighs and

groin

Front of Trunk Stretch

 Lie face down on the floor, fully outstretched

 Bring your hands to the sides of your shoulders and ease

your chest off the floor, keeping your hips firmly pressed

into the ground

 You will feel the stretch in the front of the trunk

 Iliotibial Band Stretch

 Sitting tall with legs stretched out in front of you

 Bend the right knee and place the right foot on the

ground to the left side of the left knee

 Turn your shoulders so that you are facing to the right

 Using the left arm against the right knee to help ease

further round

 Use right arm on the floor for support

 The stretch will be felt along the length of the spine and

in the muscles around the right hip

Quadriceps Stretch

 Lie face down on the floor, resting forehead

on right hand

 Press the hips firmly to the floor and bring

left foot up towards the buttocks

 Take hold of the left ankle with the left hand

and ease the foot closer to the buttocks

 Repeat with the right leg

 The stretch will be felt along the front of the

 thigh

Biceps Stretch

 Stand tall, feet slightly wider

than shoulder-width apart, knees

slightly bent

 Hold the arms out to the side

parallel with the ground and the

palms of the hand facing

forward

 Rotate the hands so the palms

face to the rear

 Stretch the arms back as far as

possible

 The stretch will be felt across

the chest and in the biceps.

Shoulder and Triceps

Stretch

 Stand tall, feet

slightly wider
than shoulder-
width apart, knees
slightly bent
  Place both hands
above your head
and then slide
both of your
hands down the
middle of your
spine
 You will feel the
stretch in the
shoulders and the
triceps

Side Bends

 Stand tall, feet slightly wider

than shoulder-width apart, knees
slightly bent, hands resting on
the hips
 Bend slowly to one side, come
back to the vertical position and
then bend to the other side
 Do not lean forwards or
backwards
Chest Stretch

 Stand tall, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees

slightly bent

 Hold the arms out to the side parallel with the ground and the

palms of the hand facing forward

 Stretch the arms back as far as possible

 The stretch will be felt across your chest

Frequency and Duration of Static Stretching

The duration of the hold of the stretch is irrelevant to notice improvement but rather how

many times the stretch is repeated in a week. It’s important to note that each muscle should

be stretched only once and should be held for five minutes which is broken into five one-

minute exercises or ten exercises of thirty seconds. The more we stretch in a week, the

better the outcomes where according to certain studies stretching for more than three weeks

served in decreasing stiffness and increasing the range of motion. For individuals whose

main objective is general fitness, it's recommended that static stretching should be done at

least twice a week and stretch held for a minimum of 15 seconds followed by dynamic

stretching.
REFERNCES

Andrade RJ, (2020). Chronic effects of muscle and nerve-directed stretching on tissue
mechanics. Journal of Applied Physiology; 129(5):1011–1023.
Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD (2016). Acute efects of muscle stretching on physical
performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic
review. Applied Physiololgy Nutrition Metab; 41(1):1–11
Contraindications to stretching. (n.d.). Stretching Exercises Guide. Your ultimate guide to
stretches. https://www.stretching-exercises-guide.com/contraindications-to-stretching.html
Panidi I, Bogdanis GC, Terzis G (2021). Muscle architectural and functional adaptations
following 12-weeks of stretching in adolescent female athletes. Front Physiology; 12.

Tsatsouline, Pavel (2001). Relax into stretch: instant flexibility through mastering muscle
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Weerapong P, Hume PA, Kolt GS (2004). "Stretching: Mechanisms and Benefits for Sports
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