Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/8001
Title: | Does acute passive stretching increase muscle length in children with cerebral palsy? |
Authors: | Theis, N Korff, T Kairon, H Mohagheghi, AA |
Keywords: | cerebral palsy;stretching;gastrocnemius muscle;achilles tendon |
Issue Date: | 2013 |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Citation: | Clinical Biomechanics, 28(9-10), 1061 - 1067, 2013 |
Abstract: | Background: Children with spastic cerebral palsy experience increased muscle stiffness and reduced muscle length, which may prevent elongation of the muscle during stretch. Stretching performed either by the clinician, or children themselves is used as a treatment modality to increase/maintain joint range of motion. It is not clear whether the associated increases in muscle–tendon unit length are due to increases in muscle or tendon length. The purpose was to determine whether alterations in ankle range of motion in response to acute stretching were accompanied by increases in muscle length, and whether any effects would be dependent upon stretch technique. Methods: Eight children (6–14 y) with cerebral palsy received a passive dorsiflexion stretch for 5 × 20 s to each leg, which was applied by a physiotherapist or the children themselves. Maximum dorsiflexion angle, medial gastrocnemius muscle and fascicle lengths, and Achilles tendon length were calculated at a reference angle of 10° plantarflexion, and at maximum dorsiflexion in the pre- and post-stretch trials. Findings: All variables were significantly greater during pre- and post-stretch trials compared to the resting angle, and were independent of stretch technique. There was an approximate 10° increase in maximum dorsiflexion post-stretch, and this was accounted for by elongation of both muscle (0.8 cm) and tendon (1.0 cm). Muscle fascicle length increased significantly (0.6 cm) from pre- to post-stretch. Interpretation: The results provide evidence that commonly used stretching techniques can increase overall muscle, and fascicle lengths immediately post-stretch in children with cerebral palsy. |
Description: | This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright @ The Authors. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in anymedium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited. |
URI: | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268003313002209 https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/8001 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2013.10.001 |
ISSN: | 0268-0033 |
Appears in Collections: | Sport Brunel OA Publishing Fund Dept of Life Sciences Research Papers |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fulltext.pdf | 602.5 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Items in BURA are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.