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Quantitative analysis of the relative effectiveness of 3 iliotibial band stretches
Michael Fredericson1, Jeremy J White, John M Macmahon
1Department of Functional Restoration, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5336, USA. michael.fredericson@stanford.edu
Objective:
To compare the relative effectiveness of 3 common standing stretches for the iliotibial band (ITB): arms at side (stretch A), arms extending overhead (stretch B), and arms reaching diagonally downward (stretch C).
Design:
Each subject's biomechanics was captured as a 3-dimensional image by using a 4-camera gait acquisition system with a forceplate.
Setting:
University biomotion laboratory.
Participants:
Five male elite-level distance runners.
Interventions:
All participants performed each of the 3 standing stretches for the ITB.
Main Outcome Measures:
For each stretch, change in ITB tissue length and the force generated within the stretched complex was measured. Data were then combined and analyzed by using kinetic values assessment.
Results:
All 3 stretches created statistically significant changes in ITB length (P<.05), but stretch B, incorporating overhead arm extension, was consistently most effective both for average ITB length change and average adduction moments at the hip and knee.
Conclusions:
Adding an overhead arm extension to the most common standing ITB stretch may increase average ITB length change and average external adduction moments in elite-level distance runners.