Effect of foot position on gastrocnemius/soleus stretching in subjects with normal flexibility.

Following injury to the ankle or lower extremity, stretching of the gastrocnemius/soleus complex is commonly prescribed. Many authors recommend stretching the gastrocnemius/soleus complex with the foot placed in a supinated position. No research is available, however, that supports the efficacy of stretching in the supinated vs. the pronated position. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the effect of stretching the gastrocnemius/soleus complex in two foot positions: supinated and pronated. Eleven female and eight male subjects completed 10 stretching sessions with one foot supinated and the other foot pronated. Each stretching session consisted of four 20-second stretches. On pretest and posttest measurements, maximum dorsiflexion range of motion and stretching force exerted through the foot were recorded for each subject. Foot position for the testing procedures and the stretching phase was standardized with individually constructed footprint templates. A two-way analysis of variance (stretching position and time) was used to compare pretest and posttest ankle dorsiflexion measurements. Results indicated a significant increase in dorsiflexion (p = 0.01, pronation + 6.36%, supination + 6.24%) but no significant difference between stretching positions (p = 0.23). We concluded that gastrocnemius/soleus complex stretching in either foot position is effective for increasing dorsiflexion range of motion in healthy subjects with normal flexibility of the gastrocnemius/soleus complex.