Effect of a Supervised Hip Flexor Stretching Program on Gait in Elderly Individuals

Objective: To determine whether a 10-week supervised hip flexor stretching program in healthy elderly subjects would increase peak hip extension, stride length and gait speed and reduce anterior pelvic tilt during walking.

Design: A double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial.

Setting: Pre- and posttreatment assessments were performed in a gait laboratory, whereas stretching exercises were performed outside of the laboratory, usually in the subject's home.

Participants: Eighty-two healthy elderly individuals, with 39 subjects in the control group and 43 subjects in the treatment group.

Intervention: The treatment group completed a 10-week, twice-daily hip flexor stretching program, which was supervised twice weekly by a rehabilitation clinician. The control group completed a 10-week shoulder abductor stretching program.

Main Outcome Measurements: Passive hip extension range of motion, dynamic peak hip extension, peak anterior pelvic tilt, stride length, and gait speed during walking.

Results: The treatment group showed significant improvements in passive hip extension range of motion (P = .007). Subjects in the treatment group who presented with limited preassessment peak hip extension during walking had increased stride length (P = .019) and peak hip extension (P = .012), and decreased anterior pelvic tilt (P = .006) during walking, whereas subjects in the control group showed only decreased anterior pelvic tilt (P = .013).

Conclusions: The 10-week supervised hip flexor stretching program was effective in increasing stride length and peak hip extension during walking in elderly adults who had limited preintervention hip extension during walking. These results support the use of a simple stretching program for elderly individuals in counteracting age-related decline in gait function.