Acute effects of static stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation on non-local range of movement

ABSTRACT

Acute effects of static stretching (SS) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on local and non-local range of motion (ROM) were assessed in 29 participants. Three evaluations were performed one week apart: week-1 Control session (CS); weeks 2–3 either SS or PNF interventions (randomized). Dominant and non-dominant limbs, local (hamstring extensibility) and non-local ROMs (Shoulder extension-ShE) were collected at baseline (T0), immediately after (T1), and fifteen minutes post-intervention (T2). No differences were found between time-points during the CS. Local-ROM significantly increased (p=0.0002, ES=0.74 and 0.0079, 0.56, for dominant and non-dominant lower limbs, respectively) after both SS and PNF. No interaction between time and treatment was detected for ShE in both limbs. However, post-hoc analysis revealed a significant increase in dominant upper limb ShE between T0 and T1 only after SS (p=0.002; +6.5%). Acute bouts of SS and PNF can increase local-ROM, however, no clear effects were observed for non-local ROM.

KEYWORDS:

• Stretch
• range of motion
• short term
• myofascial chains
• hamstring

Abbreviation list

IPAQ	=	International Physical Activity Questionnaire
PNF	=	Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation
PSLR	=	Passive Straight Leg Raise Test
ROM	=	Range Of Movement
ShE	=	Shoulder Extension
SS	=	Static Stretching

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors’ contributions

Conceptualization and design: ET and SF. Data collection: SF and AS. Analysis: ET. Manuscript writing, first draft: ET and FNŞ. Manuscript writing, revision: MB, MN, APal and APat. Supervision: APal and AB. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Data availability statement

Full data can be shared upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Ethics approval

The study was conducted in accordance with the deontological norms laid down in the Helsinki Declaration and the European Union recommendations for Good Clinical Practice. The study was approved by the University of Palermo bioethical committee (protocol n°65/2021).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.