Resistance Training Combined With Stretching Increases Tendon Stiffness and Is More Effective Than Stretching Alone in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Twenty-two children with cerebral palsy were randomized to receive calf strengthening exercises or no calf strengthening exercises along side calf stretching exercises to improve the effectiveness of stretching by increasing tendon stiffness. Outcomes of interest included fascicle length, ankle angle, muscle length, tendon length and tendon stiffness. Results found significantly higher changes from baseline in fascicle length at rest, as well as significantly higher tendon stiffness, in the children who received calf strengthening and stretching compared to the children who received stretching alone.