Immediate Effect of Passive Muscle Stretching on Blood Glucose Level of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction : New evidences indicate the effectiveness of passive muscle stretching in decreasing blood glucose level. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immediate effect of passive stretching on the level of blood glucose in patients with diabetes. Materials and Methods : In the present study, 50 patients with diabetes were randomly allocated to two control (n = 25) and intervention (n = 25) groups. Patients in the intervention group received a 20-minute passive muscle stretching intervention, but patients in the control group did not receive any intervention. The level of blood glucose was measured before and immediately after the intervention in the two study groups. Results : Immediately after stretching, the blood glucose level was significantly lower in the intervention group in comparison to the control group (P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in the blood glucose level in the control group before and after the intervention. Conclusion : The findings of this study indicated that passive muscle stretching has a significant effect in the immediate reduction of blood glucose level in patients with type 2 diabetes.