PNF Stretching
Lets talk about PNF stretching. The only type of stretching protocol I ever use.
How Does PNF Stretching Work?
Before we get into those mechanism, we need to first understand 2 organs that work on those mechanisms
Basic Anatomy
Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO)
This organ sits in the muscle tendon unit. It is sensitive to change and rate of muscle tension. This organ works as to protect the muscles from injury
The GTO sends a signal to the brain regarding muscle load. It establishes a “set point” for how much the muscle can tolerate. If there is a load greater than this set point, it tries to shut the muscle down to avoid injury. Naturally this doesn’t always work
An easy example of how this works is a pullup for improving overhead ROM. At the bottom, the lats get a stretch. The GTO activates, allowing more range overhead. The lats usually limit overhead motion but by exercising them through their full range, overhead ROM is improved
Muscle Spindle
This is a stretch receptor. It detects changes in muscle length
It works with a mechanism called the stretch reflex. All this means is that as a stretch is applied to the muscle, the spindle sends a signal to contract the muscle to decrease the stretch rate. Now that we understand the anatomy, we can dive into how it works
Autogenic Inhibition
When a muscle is fully stretched or shortened it loses excitability (ability to reply to a new stimulus). Think of a bell curve
Increased muscle tension causes the activation of the GTO. This then allows the muscle to relax. PNF involves creating muscle tension in a lengthened state to allow this relaxation
Reciprocal Inhibition
This is a big way to say that as one muscle activates, the opposite muscle relaxes and vice versa. Use the quads/hamstrings as an example. To fully shorten the hamstrings and bend the knee, the quads must reach a fully lengthened state.
This is also a protective mechanism to help prevent injury. In this mechanism the muscle spindle is at work. Reciprocal inhibition is one of the reasons you can have plenty of mobility without ever stretching
Lets look at overhead shoulder mobility as an example. Typically the lats limit overhead ROM. However, when doing an OH press, the front delts are working. They have the opposite function of the lats. This forces the lats to relax, improving shoulder flexion
Stress Relaxation
Occurs when muscle tendon unit is under constant stress/ Muscle and tendon have viscoelastic properties. This means they resist strain and then return back to the original form
This property of muscles allows them to be stretched without any damage to the tissue. Over time the viscous component loses its properties and the muscle increases in length
This is known as “creep”
As the stretch is held, the stiffness continues to decrease and ROM improvements are made. However, this is short lived, 80 seconds to an hour
Gate Control Theory
The gate control theory suggests that we can override the stimulus going to the brain and reduce pain. Simply, if pain is stimulus A, we provide stimulus B. This prevents the pain from being sensed
A large force is created when a muscle is elongated and then tries to resist the stretch. This force is sensed as a noxious stimulus. This stimulus can also activate the GTO
As the process of PNF goes on, the GTO becomes more accustomed to the noxious stimulus. This allows greater muscle length as well as improved force generation
How To Perform PNF Stretching
There are 2 primary types of PNF stretching
1. Contract Relax
2. Hold Relax
Contract Relax
The target muscle is lengthened. Hold this position (I prefer 30 seconds). Contract the muscle through a full ROM for 5 seconds. Resistance is applied by the assistant. Contract at 60% max capacity
Perform another stretch. This process is then repeated. I’ll usually perform these for 3 sets. 1 set is a stretch followed by a muscle contraction
Hold Relax
Perform this the same as contract relax
The only difference is this uses an isometric contraction.
Nothing else changes
Reminder, although PNF will absolutely improve ROM immediately. It is NOT permanent. The gains last around an hour and a half at most