01/22/2026
“Is Stretching Really Effective?”
As a physical therapist with years of clinical experience, I used to believe that stretching was essential for tight muscles, pain relief, and injury prevention.
But the more I studied the research—and the more patients I treated—the more my view changed.
👉 There is no strong research showing that stretching prevents injuries or fixes pain.
👉 Stretching can temporarily increase range of motion, but it doesn’t address the real cause of most “tightness.”
What most people describe as tight muscles is often not a short muscle.
It’s usually:
• Poor motor control
• Lack of stability
• Muscles working overtime to protect you
When the body doesn’t feel stable or controlled, the nervous system creates the sensation of tightness. Stretching may feel good short-term—but it doesn’t solve the problem.
The real solution is improving how you move.
Strength. Control. Stability. Coordination.
That’s where long-term change happens.
I’m not anti-stretching. If it feels good, that matters.
But stretching alone is not a treatment—it’s a temporary sensation.
If you feel tight all the time, the question isn’t “What should I stretch?”
It’s “What am I not controlling well?”
— Manos Lagogiannis , PT
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