Prolonged stretch as an inhibition technique is described as providing what?

• A. Stretch should provide sufficient force to overcome hypertonicity and passively lengthen the muscle
• B. It should be painful to be effective
• C. It should be performed as a brief, rapid stretch
• D. It should be avoided in all cases

Answer: (A)

Prolonged, sustained stretch as an inhibition technique relies on holding a gentle stretch for an extended period to lengthen a hypertonic muscle and reduce its resistance to movement. The sustained load promotes viscoelastic creep of the muscle-tendon unit and can dampen muscle spindle input, gradually decreasing passive hypertonicity so the muscle can lengthen passively. Because of this, the stretch should provide enough force to overcome the abnormal stiffness and allow the muscle to lengthen without triggering pain or rapid, reflexive reactions. It is not about a brief or rapid stretch, which is used for facilitation rather than inhibition, and it should not be avoided when inhibition of hypertonicity is the goal.