The stretching technique that uses a partner to apply pressure after a contraction is PNF stretching. PNF stands for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and combines a stretch with a controlled muscle contraction.
In a common hold-relax or contract-relax sequence, a partner first positions the target muscle in a comfortable stretch. The person then contracts that muscle against the partner’s resistance, often without visible joint movement. After the contraction, the muscle relaxes and the partner gently moves the limb farther into the stretch.
PNF developed from neurorehabilitation methods associated with Herman Kabat, Margaret Knott and Dorothy Voss during the mid-20th century. It was designed to improve functional movement and neuromuscular control, then became widely used in sports and flexibility training.
PNF is sometimes confused with ordinary static stretching because both can involve a partner and a held position. The defining feature is the contraction phase. It also has variants such as contract-relax with agonist contraction, in which the opposing muscle actively helps move the limb after the target muscle relaxes.