Feature Articles

physical therapist pnf stretching hamstrings

PNF stretching: How to do it and what research says

Penny Goldberg, DPT, ATC and Nick Ng, BA March 8, 2026

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF, is a type of stretching that involves a muscle to repeatedly contract against resistance and then relaxed into a deeper stretch, using the nervous system to allow greater lengthening. In practice, a practitioner or partner takes a limb into a passive stretch. Then the athlete contracts

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Why stretching theories lean toward neural explanations, less mechanical

Nick Ng, BA March 1, 2026

While stretching is often recommended by many fitness, sports, and rehab professionals, few could explain how it works and why. Traditional explanations often include “it lengthens your muscles” or “releases fascia.” However, research in the last 30-plus years has shown that stretching is less about mechanical properties and more about

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