title: The Acute Effects of Hold-Relax Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation With Vibration Therapy on Glenohumeral Internal-Rotation Deficit.
abstract: Clinicians use various stretching techniques to prevent the onset of and treat glenohumeral internal-rotation deficit (GIRD). It is unknown which stretching technique is the most effective.
  
  
  
  To investigate the acute effects of hold-relax proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) with and without vibration therapy on internal rotation in individuals with GIRD.
  
  
  
  2-within (stretch × time) comparison with repeated measures.
  
  
  
  Controlled laboratory.
  
  
  
  11 male current and former overhead athletes (19.8 ± 1.4 y, 184.5 ± 4.5 cm, 91.8 ± 11.6 kg) who presented with GIRD.
  
  
  
  At 3 separate sessions, participants performed 1 of 3 randomly assigned stretches: hold-relax PNF (PNF), hold-relax PNF in combination with a whole-body-vibration unit set at 30 Hz (PNF-V), and static stretch (SS). Pretest and posttest maximum passive glenohumeral internal-rotation measurements were taken with a digital protractor.
  
  
  
  The dependent variables were the mean glenohumeral internal-rotation measurements taken at the pretest and posttest. The influence of stretch (PNF, PNF-V, and SS) and time (pretest and posttest) on mean glenohumeral internal rotation was compared using a 3 × 2 factorial ANOVA with repeated measures on both variables (P ≤ .05).
  
  
  
  There was a stretch-by-time interaction (F2,20 = 34.697, P < .001). Post hoc testing revealed that the PNF posttest (73.0° ± 10.4°) was greater than the PNF pretest (60.0° ± 11.8°), the PNF-V posttest (74.7° ± 10.0°) was greater than the PNF-V pretest (57.4° ± 10.4°), and the SS posttest (67.0° ± 10.7°) was greater than the SS pretest (60.1° ± 9.4°). When comparing the posttest values, the PNF-V posttest was greater than the SS posttest.
  
  
  
  All 3 stretches (PNF, PNF-V, and SS) resulted in acute increases in glenohumeral internal rotation in individuals presenting with GIRD. The PNF-V stretch resulted in the greatest increase and would be the most clinically beneficial for patients with GIRD.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR.
authors.forename: W Steven
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Slone
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises / Q000379:methods*; D011434:Proprioception; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult