Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39460597›Full record

Trial reportEuropean journal of pain (London, England)2025

The effect of stretching intensity on pain sensitivity: A randomized crossover study on healthy adults.

Morten Pallisgaard Støve, Line Ørum Hansen, Kristian Kloppenborg Elmbæk, Stig Peter Magnusson, Janus Laust Thomsen, Allan Riis

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in European journal of pain (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Morten Pallisgaard StøveDepartment of Physiotherapy, University College of Northern Denmark (UCN) Selma Lagerløfs Vej 2, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6010-4376
Line Ørum HansenDepartment of Physiotherapy, University College of Northern Denmark (UCN) Selma Lagerløfs Vej 2, Aalborg, Denmark.
Kristian Kloppenborg ElmbækDepartment of Physiotherapy, University College of Northern Denmark (UCN) Selma Lagerløfs Vej 2, Aalborg, Denmark.
Stig Peter MagnussonInstitute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen and Department of Occupational and Physical Therapy, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Janus Laust ThomsenCenter for General Practice, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Allan RiisDepartment of Physiotherapy, University College of Northern Denmark (UCN) Selma Lagerløfs Vej 2, Aalborg, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStretching exercises have effects on local and widespread pain sensitivity. A dose-response relationship may exist between the analgesic effect and the intensity of stretching, such that a higher intensity of stretching may generate a larger reduction in analgesic response, but this remains to be studied. This study aimed to examine the dose-response relationship between stretching intensity and the analgesic effect.

methodsA randomized, repeated-measures crossover study was performed to examine the effect of stretching to the first point of pain onset and stretching to the point of a sensation of stretching (discomfort). The primary outcome was regional and distant pressure pain thresholds.

resultsThirty-one participants (n = 24 female) were available for analysis. We observed a 22.2% increase in regional pressure pain thresholds (93.2 kPa, p = 0.001) and a 15.0% increase in distant pressure pain thresholds (50.9 kPa, p = 0.012) following stretching to the point of stretch. We observed a 20.0% increase in regional pressure pain thresholds (90.3 kPa, p = 0.001) and a 15.1% increase in distant pressure pain thresholds (52.1 kPa, p = 0.004) following stretching to the point of pain.

conclusionsThe results showed that local and widespread pain sensitivity decreased following acute stretching, regardless of stretching intensity. No differences in pain sensitivity were found between stretching to the point of stretch or stretching to the first onset of pain. Thus, the results showed no evidence of a dose-response relationship between stretching intensity and the analgesic effect. SIGNIFICANCE: The study showed a significant acute hypoalgesic effect of stretching exercises regardless of stretching intensity. This may have appropriate clinical implications for patients with musculoskeletal and nociplastic pain.

Indexed as

Muscle Stretching ExercisesPain ThresholdAdultCross-Over StudiesFemaleHealthy VolunteersHumansMalePain MeasurementYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39460597
PMCPMC11755707

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.