Which stretching method uses voluntary, gentle isometric contractions to relax muscles via autogenic or reciprocal inhibition and lengthen tissue?

• A. Post Isometric Relaxation (PIR)
• B. Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
• C. Reciprocal Inhibition
• D. Contract Relax Antagonist Contract (CRAC)

Answer: (B)

Muscle Energy Technique uses the patient’s voluntary, gentle isometric contractions against light resistance to calm the muscle and lengthen tissue by leveraging neuromuscular reflexes. The contraction triggers autogenic inhibition through the Golgi tendon organs, which reduces the targeted muscle’s resistance when it relaxes, and it can also enlist reciprocal inhibition of the antagonist to help the stretch. After the brief isometric hold, the clinician passively lengthens the muscle, often repeating several times to achieve a greater range of motion. This active, patient-driven contraction against resistance distinguishes MET from other methods like post-isometric relaxation, where the emphasis is mainly on the relaxation of the same muscle after a contraction, or from methods that rely primarily on antagonist contractions or different protocols.