Wednesday 12 June 2013

Sleeper stretch for the posterior glenohumeral capsule



When I first learned about the sleeper stretch technique for the posterior glenohumeral joint I asked myself "why would anyone want to put so much stretch on a body structure that is so thin and sensitive, since we know that the posterior part of the glenohumeral joint lacks the ligaments that are at the anterior part of the capsule?". Then I found out that I am not the only one that has the same doubts about this technique. These 3 very interesting articles at Mike Reinold.com worth reading:

The Correct Way to Perform the Sleeper Stretch

The sleeper stretch is one of those exercises that unfortunately gets abused.  As I have said, I don’t really like the sleeper stretch and I do not use it often – go back and read why I don’t use the sleeper stretch.  The stretch is probably overused and often times used used so aggressively that it may actually be doing more harm than benefit.

But I do see the need for the sleeper stretch for certain individuals.  Just like everything else, there is a time and a place to use it, but when something is very popular, it probably gets overused.  Plus, the sleeper stretch has been shown to be effective in restoring posterior shoulder tightness in overhead athletes.  So there is definitely some validity to it’s use, especially if done safely, but more on this below.


3 Reasons Why I Don’t Use the Sleeper Stretch and Why You Shouldn’t Either

Ah, the sleeper stretch.  Pretty popular right now, huh?  Seems like a ton of people are preaching the value of the sleeper stretch and why everyone needs to use it.  It’s so popular now that physicians are asking for it specifically.

I don’t like the sleeper stretch and I rarely use.

There, I said it, I felt like I really had the get that off my chest!  Every meeting I go to I see more and more people talking like the sleeper stretch is the next great king of all exercises.  Then I get up there and say I don’t use it and everyone looks at me like I have two heads!  Call me crazy, but I think we probably shouldn’t be using as much as we do.


Alternatives to the Sleeper Stretch that May Actually Work Better

It is no secret that I am not a huge fan of the sleeper stretch, I have written about why I don’t use the sleeper stretch that often in the past.  While I do realize that there is a need for it at times if you know how to perform the sleeper stretch correctly, I also think there are alternatives to the sleeper stretch that may be safer and even more effective.

To begin, let me ask the question – what is it we are trying to achieve by performing the sleeper stretch?  It is probably to work on shoulder internal rotation or cross body horizontal adduction mobility (we’ll refer to the later as posterior shoulder mobility).  So let’s explore what else we can do to work on those areas.

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