The effects of passive stretching on the blood glucose levels of patients with type 2 diabetes

Background: Type 2 diabetes is characterized by poor glycemic control due to decreased insulin sensitivity. Physical activity plays an important role in the management of diabetes and reduces blood glucose level. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of passive stretching (PS) on the blood glucose level (BGL) of diabetic patients. Materials and methods: In this randomized clinical trial, fifty patients with type 2 diabetes and mean age of 50.7 +/- 4.8 years were randomly and equally allocated into control and intervention groups. Patients in the intervention and control groups underwent 20 min of passive stretching (PS) and passive movement (PM), respectively. BGL was measured before and immediately after, 20 min after and 1 h after PS/PM in the two study groups. BGL at the mentioned times was compared between and within the groups. Results: The findings showed that when compared with before the PS (195.7 +/- 30.1), BGL significantly reduced (p < 0.001) immediately after (178.9 +/- 29.7), 20 min after (183.2 +/- 29.1), and 1 h after (187.8 +/- 29.6) the PS. However, BGL after PM (immediately, 20 min and 1 h after PM) did not significantly change (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that PS has a significant effect on the reduction of the immediate BGL in type 2 diabetic patients. The trend reduced even though the effect remained for 1 h after PS. It is therefore suggested that the effectiveness of these types of activities should be evaluated over a longer duration of study. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.