Limber Up, ButterCup

Discussing all things stretching

Author

Nick, Jason & Zac
March 20, 2023

In this week’s newsletter and podcast we take on the topic of stretching and what the latest research states it does or does not do. This is a common question we will get in our office treating patients. Should I be stretching? Does it decrease my risk of injury? Which type of stretching is best? The notion of stretching is one of those things that has been passed down from generation to generation and just accepted as something everyone should do to optimize muscle and joint health. What do the results say?

We discuss:

  • Our past with stretching

  • The different types of stretching (Static, Dynamic, and PNF stretching)

  • Understanding where muscular tightness comes from and how it is in large part a neurologic phenomenon

  • We dive into a few studies to see if stretching can:

    • Improve strength

    • Improve performance (such as sprinting and jumping)

    • Decrease risk of injury

    • Increase range of motion (with some interesting findings on resistance training)

We wrap up by discussing our thoughts on yoga and what we find ourselves telling our patients about it.

Give the podcast a listen here.. Apple Spotify

What are the Simplified Takeaways??

  1. Static stretching can slightly increase strength and is something that can help people in this regard if they are unable to engage in regular resistance training.

  2. Does it increase strength anywhere close to what resistance training can do? Not even close!!

  3. What if I combine resistance training with stretching? Will this result in more strength gains? No.

  4. Are there studies showing that stretching can have a negative effect on certain types of performance, such as running and jumping? Yes.

  5. Are there studies clearly showing that stretching decreases your risk of injury? No.

  6. Does stretching increase Range of Motion? Yes.

  7. Does Resistance Training increase Range of Motion? Yes.

  8. Does Resistance Training increase Range of Motion just as much as stretching? Yes.

  9. If I do both Resistance Training and Stretching, will I get even more Range of Motion? No.

  10. Does doing body weight strength exercises result in increases in Range of Motion? No.

  11. Can yoga increase Range of Motion? We’re not sure, but we suspect it probably does but only in the short term.

  12. Should I focus on increasing my Range of Motion in my low back? We don’t think this is generally a good idea.

  13. Is doing yoga a good idea? It’s most likely fine as long as you’re safe and not pushing Range of Motion that does not feel good.

Further Reading

Here are links to a few of the main studies we reference in our podcast:

Disclaimer: This newsletter is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advise. No doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this newsletter or materials linked from this newsletter is at the user’s own risk. The content of this newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advise, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advise for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.