Which technique relies on autogenic and reciprocal inhibition to lengthen muscle by using voluntary contractions?

• A. Reciprocal Inhibition
• B. Active Isolated Stretching
• C. Muscle Energy Technique (MET)
• D. Post Isometric Relaxation (PIR)

Answer: (C)

Muscle Energy Technique uses voluntary contractions to lengthen a muscle by tapping into both autogenic and reciprocal inhibition. When the patient gently contracts the target muscle against a clinician’s opposing force (an isometric hold), the increased tension triggers autogenic inhibition via the Golgi tendon organs in that same muscle, allowing it to relax more fully. At the same time, because the target muscle is contracting, its antagonists are inhibited through reciprocal inhibition, which facilitates a greater, easier stretch. After the contraction, the therapist lengthens the muscle and repeats the sequence to progressively increase length.

Other methods rely more on either one mechanism or the other. Active Isolated Stretching primarily uses short, repeated stretches and leverages reciprocal inhibition but doesn’t rely on autogenic inhibition from the contracting muscle. Post Isometric Relaxation uses an isometric contraction to induce autogenic inhibition but doesn’t emphasize the reciprocal inhibition of the antagonist.