CONTEXT Exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC) are a common condition experienced by recreational and competitive athletes. Despite their commonality and prevalence, their cause remains unknown. Theories for the cause of EAMC are primarily based on anecdotal and observational studies rather than sound experimental evidence. Without a clear cause, treatments and prevention strategies for EAMC ...

BACKGROUND Static stretching (SS) is a recovery intervention used for the reduction of muscle soreness postexercise. The effects of SS on elite young footballers have received little attention, and therefore the aim of this study was to assess the effects of SS on muscle recovery following competitive soccer matches in elite young footballers. METHODS Ten male participants (16±1 years) were r...

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of treadmill exercises and stretching and resistance exercises in improving gait speed, strength, and fitness for patients with Parkinson disease. DESIGN A comparative, prospective, randomized, single-blinded clinical trial of 3 types of physical exercise. SETTING The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center at the University of Maryland and the Ba...

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of ankle joint muscle strengthening and proprioceptive exercises accompanied by functional electrical stimulation on stroke patients' balance ability. [Methods] For six weeks beginning in April 2015, 22 stroke patients receiving physical therapy at K Hospital located in Gyeonggi-do were divided into a functional electrical st...

BACKGROUND Home exercise programmes and exercise programmes carried out in a clinical setting are commonly advocated for the treatment of lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET), a very common lesion of the arm with a well-defined clinical presentation. The aim of this study is to describe the use and effects of strengthening and stretching exercise programmes in the treatment of LET. ECCENTRIC EXER...

[Purpose] Degenerative changes take place in the musculoskeletal system of elderly people, resulting in a reduced range of motion. For this reason, stretch training is recommended for elderly individuals. To date, there have been no studies of the adaptations of the passive properties of muscles following long-term stretch training. The aim of this study is to investigate the hamstring elastici...

Purpose: Everything that impairs joint proprioception system can harm joints. It has been stated that stretching exercises can change properties of the proprioceptive receptors and as a result changes the sensibility of the joints proprioception. Due to fact that static stretching has greater use between athletes, it is necessary to give useful information about the safety of these stretch...

BACKGROUND Stretching exercises are able to promote adaptations in the muscle-tendon unit (MTU), which can be tested through physiological and biomechanical variables. Identifying the key variables in MTU adaptations is crucial to improvements in training. OBJECTIVE To perform an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) involving the variables often used to evaluate the response of the MTU to stretc...

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficiency of a treatment composed of muscle stretching exercises, associated or not to laser therapy at tender points, for patients with fibromyalgia (FM), in view of bettering their quality of life. METHODS Twenty FM patients were randomly assigned to two groups: one submitted to laser therapy and stretching (LSG, n=10), and the other only to stretching exercises (SG...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of stretching the upper trapezius muscle on the asymmetric rate of bite force. [Subjects] Forty-seven female university students who had all their original teeth, had no disorders in the temporomandibular joints, and had never worn braces; participated in this study. [Methods] An occlusometer was used to measure biting forces. Subse...