Effects of simultaneous short-term neuromuscular electrical stimulation and static stretching on calf muscles.
Riyaka Ito, Tatsuya Igawa, Ryunosuke Urata and 6 others
PMID 39092412WHAT IT FOUND
Four minutes of simultaneous static stretching and electrical stimulation improved ankle flexibility in healthy young adults.
The change exceeded measurement error. Because there was no control group, it is unclear if this is better than stretching alone.
Key findings
01The intervention increased the dorsiflexion angle by 2.17 degrees, which is greater than the minimal detectable change of 1.4 degrees.
02Straight leg raise angle and finger-floor distance also improved after the intervention.
03There were no significant sex differences in how the intervention affected flexibility outcomes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
There was no control group (e.g., stretching alone or NMES alone), so it is impossible to know if the combined intervention was better than either component alone or if the effects were simply due to the stretching. The study was conducted on healthy university students, so the results may not apply to older adults or patients with pathology. Only a single session was tested; the long-term effects are unknown. The sample size was small (30 participants).
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The research received no external funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this combined treatment is more effective than static stretching alone. The study lacked a control group, so the observed improvements could be entirely due to the stretching component.