Does Passive Static Stretching Work to Relax Chronically Tight Muscles?

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Passive static stretching is the most common way that we train flexibility. When most people think of stretching they are picturing passive static techniques.

Passive static stretching has been shown to be reasonably effective in increasing the resting length of muscles. This meta-analysis of 77 studies on the chronic effects of stretching on ROM reports that the maximum changes were made from passive static and resistance stretching rather than dynamic or ballistic techniques.

As a result of this and other studies, passive static still the most recommended form of stretching for chronic tightness.

How Does Passive Static Stretching Work with the Nervous System?

Passive static stretching works by overriding your nervous system’s protective measures.

The body has a natural reaction to the elongation of a muscle called the stretch reflex. This is a nervous system-induced contraction of the elongated muscle that kicks in when the nervous system has decided that the muscle is being over-stretched and is in danger (see last week’s post on the perception of safety and chronic tightness). Once the stretch reflex kicks in the muscle starts to fight the stretch, making it difficult to increase the joint’s ROM.

If you ignore the stretch reflex and continue to hold the stretch, repeating this position again an again, the stretch reflex will eventually give up. This can be intensified by pushing on the joint—like when your coach pushes you into a split—and through the strategic use of resistance techniques. The nervous system will then move the set point and you will be able to achieve a greater ROM before the muscle contracts again.

What are the Limitations of Passive Static Stretching?

While passive static stretching can be effective, it does not address the root causes of that tightness. Whatever reason your body had to tighten that muscle up is not solved by forcing it to relax.

If the root cause of tightness was not integral to your body’s functioning—essentially a false alarm—it’s fine to override it. The body will move into the new range of motion more and more easily. Many folks even feel long-term benefits as chronic tightness releases through repeated stretching sessions.

But if the root cause of tightness is something important then overriding the tightness will either be temporary (the muscle will just tighten back up again after you stretch), or it will create other problems because that tight muscle was serving a larger purpose.

For instance your hip flexors could be chronically tight because you have sleepy glutes and hamstrings. If you then subject your hips to repeated deep lunges while you coach pushes on your butt with their little pokey foot until your hip flexors give up and release into a greater range of motion, you may find yourself with some really unstable hips. In the long term this can lead to connective tissue injuries, snapping hip syndrome, and other unpleasantness.

Ask me how I know. 😑 

Some people will also find that their stretch reflex is simply too well-developed for whatever passive static madness you can come up with. If you’ve had the experience of stretching, and stretching, and stretching and feel as though you’re yanking on a bridge cable then congrats, you have a very protective stretch reflex.

Finally, it is very common for folks to power through the stretch reflex, experience a delicious increase in range of motion and a deep relaxation of chronic tightness, only to feel those muscles tighten up again within days or even hours. This is because the body has not reinforced that new range of motion by building strength and confidence in that zone. Without that extra work the body will probably just revert to the tightness devil it knows.

Coming next week… what can we do to reinforce the new ranges that we create using passive and resistance techniques?

Spoiler alert, it’s active range of motion training!

Happy Bendings, fellow humans,

Kristina