Review

ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW

Volume: 4 Number: 1 January 31, 2026
TR EN

ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

Purpose: The Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) concept structures the rehabilitation intervention, addressing both body function/structures and activity limitations. This scoping review aimed to identify and summarize existing research on electromyographic muscle activity during PNF patterns in healthy individuals. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, PEDro, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases for studies published between 1980 and October 2025. Studies were included if they: (i) involved healthy individuals aged 18–65 years, (ii) applied PNF diagonal patterns and basic facilitation principles, and (iii) used electromyography to assess muscle activity. Study quality was examined descriptively using the NIH Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: A total of 11 cross-sectional studies with 250 participants were included. The included studies had poor to good quality. They were primarily low-quality and had some bias due to a lack of sample size calculation, insufficient definition of the study population, unspecified participation rate of eligible individuals, and failure to measure key potential confounding variables. Findings showed that the anterior, middle, and lower trapezius muscles and the serratus anterior muscle were found to play a significant role in the Flexion-Abduction-External Rotation pattern in the upper limb. Conclusion: Based on electromyographic data, PNF patterns tend to induce varying degrees of muscle activity in the target muscles, depending on the choice of pattern. However, the findings of this scoping review underscore the need for further research with a standardized design.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Ethical Statement

This manuscript is a scoping review based on a synthesis of existing literature. No human participants were involved, and no experimental or observational data collection was conducted. Therefore, in accordance with national and international ethical standards, ethics committee approval was not required for this study.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation

Journal Section

Review

Early Pub Date

January 31, 2026

Publication Date

January 31, 2026

Submission Date

October 27, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 10, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 4 Number: 1

APA
Birinci Olgun, T., Vural, P., & Ersöz Hüseyinsinoğlu, B. (2026). ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW. Laodikya Rehabilitasyon Bilimleri, 4(1), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18442900
AMA
1.Birinci Olgun T, Vural P, Ersöz Hüseyinsinoğlu B. ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW. Laodikya Rehabilitasyon Bilimleri. 2026;4(1):38-52. doi:10.5281/zenodo.18442900
Chicago
Birinci Olgun, Tansu, Pelin Vural, and Burcu Ersöz Hüseyinsinoğlu. 2026. “ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW”. Laodikya Rehabilitasyon Bilimleri 4 (1): 38-52. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18442900.
EndNote
Birinci Olgun T, Vural P, Ersöz Hüseyinsinoğlu B (January 1, 2026) ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW. Laodikya Rehabilitasyon Bilimleri 4 1 38–52.
IEEE
[1]T. Birinci Olgun, P. Vural, and B. Ersöz Hüseyinsinoğlu, “ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW”, Laodikya Rehabilitasyon Bilimleri, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 38–52, Jan. 2026, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18442900.
ISNAD
Birinci Olgun, Tansu - Vural, Pelin - Ersöz Hüseyinsinoğlu, Burcu. “ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW”. Laodikya Rehabilitasyon Bilimleri 4/1 (January 1, 2026): 38-52. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18442900.
JAMA
1.Birinci Olgun T, Vural P, Ersöz Hüseyinsinoğlu B. ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW. Laodikya Rehabilitasyon Bilimleri. 2026;4:38–52.
MLA
Birinci Olgun, Tansu, et al. “ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW”. Laodikya Rehabilitasyon Bilimleri, vol. 4, no. 1, Jan. 2026, pp. 38-52, doi:10.5281/zenodo.18442900.
Vancouver
1.Tansu Birinci Olgun, Pelin Vural, Burcu Ersöz Hüseyinsinoğlu. ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION PATTERNS IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS: A SCOPING REVIEW. Laodikya Rehabilitasyon Bilimleri. 2026 Jan. 1;4(1):38-52. doi:10.5281/zenodo.18442900