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Sports Medicine - Stretching: Myths vs. Realities ׀ by John O'Halloran DPT, OCS, ATC, CSCS, Cert MDT |
Dr. John W. O'Halloran, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC, CSCS, cert MDT, is a licensed Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer with over 24 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation. He is a board certified orthopaedic clinical specialist by the American Physical Therapy Association. He earned his post-professional Doctor of Physical Therapy from Temple University. Currently, Dr. O'Halloran is a director of physical therapy/sports medicine at Southeastern Orthopedics in Greensboro, North Carolina, co-owner of GOSMC Properties, LLC and owner of O'Halloran Consulting, LLC in Summerfield, North Carolina. He has also worked in a variety of settings including universities and hospitals. Dr. O'Halloran is also a former orthopedic instructor at the physical therapy assistant program at Guilford Technical Community College in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1999, he became credentialed with the McKenzie Institute in the mechanical diagnosis and treatment of the spine. Dr. O'Halloran is also a certified functional capacity evaluator in the Blankenship Method. His unique evaluation and treatment skills make him a sought after clinical instructor for physical therapy and athletic training topics. He has spoken both locally and internationally on topics such as sports specific rehabilitation of the shoulder, spine rehabilitation and treatment of foot and ankle injuries. Dr. O'Halloran has studied orthopedic and sports therapy abroad in Australia and New Zealand. His post graduate work has included manipulative therapy. His wide range of clinical experience combined with his extensive knowledge in the fiscal management of physical therapy outpatient rehabilitation services make him a very knowledgeable and skilled instructor. For a complete listing of upcoming courses for John O’Halloran, click here. |
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Stretching: Myths vs. Realities
A very common and acceptable pre exercise or athletic event
activity is stretching. Stretching has long been widely
recognized as a necessity for fitness, flexibility and above
all injury prevention. However over the last couple of years
this popular activity has been questioned on whether it
really does indeed prevent injury. In 2004 The Centers of
Disease Control (CDC) reported that static stretching does
not prevent injury. Now as a licensed Physical Therapist and
Certified Athletic Trainer I have been telling my patients
for years that stretching “prevents” injury. And then the
CDC came out with that one and I thought about all the
inaccurate advice I had been promoting over the years. Well
like anything else you have to not believe everything you
read until you critically evaluated the information. After I
read the CDC’s review of the literature it was concluded
that STATIC STRETCHING did not prevent injury in most
populations. It did show that it did prevent injury in older
folks and young athletes who require extreme ranges of
motion such as ballet or dance. But for the average Joe or
Jane who goes out and runs 10-15 miles per week and does a
little static calf or quadriceps stretching you cannot state
that those stretches will PREVENT injury. Bottom line with
all of this is that static (no bouncing) stretching held for
15-20 seconds for 3 repetitions is not going to hurt you but
it is not going to prevent injury or improve athletic
performance.
Last revised: January 4, 2009 |
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