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Reducing Muscle Stiffness Through a Brief Stretching Intervention: A Capstone PICOT Proposal

Alex De Cardenas

Florida National University

MSN Capstone Project-DAX-DL01

Dr. Carmen Lazo

May 21, 2026

Abstract

Mild muscle stiffness is a common musculoskeletal issue that is seen a community-based primary care clinic in Miami-Dade County, Florida and is associated with working-age and older adults, often related to physical inactivity, prolonged postures at work and sedentary lifestyles. Although these conditions are common and have significant health service utilization and cost (likely in the United States, over $200 billion per year for all musculoskeletal conditions), self-management interventions are underutilized in community and primary care settings. This culminating proposal is an evidence-based program to decrease self-reported muscle stiffness through education and implementation of a short five minute stretching routine daily and is nurse-led. The target population for this study is adults in Miami-Dade County, FL who visit primary care providers and/or community health services and are experiencing mild muscle stiffness. The intervention will be assessed with a numeric stiffness rating scale at baseline and week 8. This program is designed to increase the self-efficacy of patients, minimize need for analgesic medications, minimize avoidable use of healthcare resources and optimize functional quality of life for a socioeconomically diverse and vulnerable patient population based on Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory and the Iowa Model of Evidence Based Practice.

Keywords: muscle stiffness, stretching, self-care, nurse-led education, primary care, community health, Miami-Dade

Reducing Muscle Stiffness Through a Brief Stretching Intervention: A Capstone PICOT Proposal

Muscle stiffness is an increasingly common but undertreated health problem in adults in community and primary care practices. Muscle stiffness is often linked to sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy occupational postures, as well as physical inactivity, and is not only a problem for mobility but also for comfort and functional status (Zvetkova et al., 2023). While it's not a serious health condition, ongoing stiffness can be a significant quality-of-life problem and can over time lead to increased use of healthcare and a loss of independence. Musculoskeletal conditions, such as muscle, tendon, and connective tissue related to stiffness, impact the lives of about 126.6 million Americans annually with over $213 billion in treatment expenses, lost wages and economic burden (United States Bone and Joint Initiative, 2021). These statistics emphasize the need for strategies that prevent and intervene early in the course of musculoskeletal issues to prevent them from becoming chronic and expensive.

Miami-Dade County is a uniquely burdened area for MS complaints at the local level. Florida is one of the highest states for musculoskeletal-related visits to the emergency department and primary care providers, and many of these visits are due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders among service-sector and manual labor employees (Florida Department of Health, 2022). These factors combine to decrease the chances residents have for timely, organized musculoskeletal care, with the Miami-Dade County uninsured rate estimated at about 19%, compared to the national average of 9.2% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). Uncontrolled muscle stiffness in this population comes with direct costs (such as increased consumption of pain medications) and indirect costs (such as unnecessary clinic visits, loss of working time, and exacerbated chronic pain problems). Minimally costly and specialized equipment-free nurse-led interventions, which are evidence-based and fiscally-sound, are strategies to reduce this burden.

The aim of this proposed program is to determine if a nurse-led structured 5-minute daily stretching education program can significantly decrease muscle stiffness in adults over an 8 week period in a primary care or community health care setting. The expected results are clinically relevant decreases in stiffness scores (measured by patient-reported outcomes) at the end of the eight-week intervention period. The importance of this program is not just to reducing unnecessary clinic visits, but also less use of analgesic medicines and long-term functional health of a vulnerable adult population.

PICOT

In adults with mild muscle stiffness (P), does teaching a simple five-minute daily stretching routine (I), compared to usual care without structured stretching education (C), reduce self-reported muscle stiffness (O) over eight weeks (T)?

The population of this project is adults with mild muscle stiffness, who are commonly seen in primary and community health services. This population includes individuals who are working age who have sedentary work, those who are older who have lower levels of physical activity and those who have discomfort in their musculoskeletal system, which is in early stages. Chronic musculoskeletal pain or stiffness is reported by about 54 million adults in the United States, and prevalence is higher among older people and those who are sedentary in their occupations (Theis et al., 2021). Low access to physical therapy, low health literacy, and lack of guidance on self-management strategies (Çimen, 2023) make this population vulnerable.

Proposed intervention is a five-minute, standardized, nurse delivered stretching program done at the end of the visit with emphasis on major muscle groups that tend to become stiff when injured, such as the neck, shoulders, lower back and lower extremities. Systematic reviews provide evidence of the significant benefits of regular static and dynamic stretching programs, including decreases in musculoskeletal pain severity, range of motion, and perceived muscle stiffness in adults. (Behm et al., 2023) The briefness of the routine is deliberate because shorter structured exercise programs have been shown to have greater sustained patient adherence versus longer programs that utilize equipment or gym access.

The comparison intervention is usually care plus verbal advice or referring to physical therapy for self-management training, but not providing a formal self-management program. There is a consistent body of evidence of less enduring improvement in musculoskeletal symptoms associated with passive care approaches compared to active, patient-centerd approaches like structured exercise or stretching education (Behm et al. 2023). The project is expected to yield statistically and clinically meaningful improvement of self-reported muscle stiffness scores (measured by a validated Numeric Rating Scale) at the end of the 8 weeks when compared to the baseline score. The eight-week duration is long enough to establish a pattern of stretching and to demonstrate measurable changes in muscle physiology such as increased tissue extensibility and decreased resting muscle tension (Zvetkova et al., 2023).

Vulnerable Population and Setting

The target population for this project are adults (ages 18) who live in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and present to their primary care clinics or community health centers with complaints of mild muscle stiffness. Miami-Dade is a diverse urban area with a concentration of population where most residents have sedentary service jobs and earn low wages in manual jobs. The two occupations are related to high levels of musculoskeletal complaints from the static position and repetitive motion patterns (Çimen, 2023). The occupational dimension of musculoskeletal disorder occurrence in and susceptibility of workers is demonstrated by the fact that service and manual labor workers make up a disproportionate share of the estimated 544,900 reported cases of MSDs that result in days away from work annually in the United States (BLS, 2022).

The musculoskeletal burden of this population is heavily influenced by social determinants of health. Around 19% of Miami-Dade County residents do not have health insurance, which reduces their access to specialist musculoskeletal care, physical therapy referrals, and preventive health services (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023). Low income also makes it harder to join gyms, get ergonomic workstations, and access evidence-based self-care resources. Difficulty with language may impede seeking help and compliance to health guidelines in Spanish-speaking and Haitian Creole-speaking populations. In addition, long work hours and caregiving duties limit physical activity time which also contributes to stiffness and functional decline. Cultural and low barrier approaches to addressing social disadvantage are essential for these compounded social disadvantage groups (Zvetkova et al., 2023).

Unless stiffness is treated early, it's likely to become a chronic pain problem, to result in reduced range of motion, and to be a fall risk, especially for older individuals in this group. In Miami-Dade, chronic musculoskeletal pain has been linked to emergency department visits that have an average cost of $1,389 per visit, while a structured nurse-led primary care intervention has average costs of about $120 per visit, indicating the cost-effectiveness of early preventive programming (Florida Department of Health, 2022). The differences highlight the need for proactive nursing interventions based in the community as a clinical priority and also a cost-effective approach to the healthcare system in Miami Dade.

Proposal

The proposed intervention is a nurse-led patient education program that will be delivered in a primary care or community health clinic in Miami-Dade County. If adults are identified on a regular basis in clinics for having mild muscle stiffness, a trained registered nurse or advanced practice registered nurse will provide a structured 15-minute educational session where the patient will be taught a standardized 5-minute stretching exercise. The routine concentrates on the cervical spine, shoulders, thoracic back, lumbar spine, hip flexors and hamstrings, each stretch being bilaterally performed for 30-60 seconds. A laminated take home reference card with illustrated instructions will be provided for patients to use independently each day. The evidence supports this educational approach, as Galmarini et al., (2024) showed that self-directed stretching programs that are supplemented with visual instructional materials are more likely to lead to improved patient adherence and musculoskeletal outcomes than verbal instruction alone.

The resources needed for implementation are the printed patient education materials, an area in the clinical setting for demonstration and nurse time of 20 minutes per patient encounter. The estimated cost of the intervention is $15-$25, per patient, which is very practical in resource-limited community settings (Theis et al., 2021). Multilingual patient materials in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole will be developed to meet the language needs of Miami-Dade's diverse population and ensure equitable access to the intervention. Furthermore, the short duration of the routine and its ease of implementation will contribute to patient compliance.In addition, the routine is brief and straightforward, making it easier to implement.

The program will take a total of 10 weeks: 2 weeks of staff training and program preparation, 8 weeks of open enrolment of patients and delivery of the intervention, and 8 weeks concurrently for outcome assessments, with a standardized numeric stiffness rating scale used at baseline and week 8. Advanced practice nurse overseeing program will review outcome data at 4 weeks to determine the progress that has been made and to discuss any challenges to adherence as needed (Behm et al., 2023). If the 8-week outcome data show statistical difference in stiffness scores, presentation will be made to clinic leadership for further consideration of wider program implementation.

Theoretical Framework

This Capstone project is designed and implemented through a pair of complementary frameworks: Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory and the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice. These frameworks offer a clear and comprehensive basis for patient-centered education and for integrating evidence in clinical practice.

In accordance with Orem's Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory, patients have a natural ability for self-care and nursing can support, educate, and empower patients when their self-care ability falls short of their therapeutic needs (Tanaka, 2022). The five-minute stretching exercise is a self-care behavior and this theory can be directly applied to the proposed intervention. There is a lack of structured knowledge among adults in case of mild muscle stiffness, which can be compensated by nursing education and leads to a lack of self-care. The role of the nurse in this project is an educative-supportive role as the nurse provides patients with the knowledge, skill, and motivation to perform the daily stretches alone. The preventive focus of the intervention is also understood through Orem's framework; in doing so, the skills needed to successfully implement self-care behavior are introduced, thereby decreasing reliance on healthcare services and decreasing the accumulation of health deficits over time.

The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice offers a systematic approach to moving from evidence to practice. Based on the Iowa Model, Cullen et al. (2022) offer practitioners guidance for problem identification, evidence appraisal, pilot implementation, and outcome evaluation. Muscle Stiffness is determined as a clinically relevant trigger of practice change in this Capstone project. Systematic reviews and RCTs published and supporting stretching interventions are appraised and included in intervention design. A standardised 5 minute routine is rehearsed in the clinic and the patient's outcome is formally assessed at 8 weeks. When outcomes data show positive results, the model can be used to share the results and to consider the broader implementation at the healthcare organization level. This is a well-structured intervention that is theory driven, operationally astute, and can produce transferable clinical knowledge.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this capstone proposal addresses mild muscle stiffness as an important but often underrecognized musculoskeletal concern among adults in Miami-Dade County. The proposed nurse-led five-minute daily stretching intervention is realistic, low-cost, and appropriate for implementation in a community-based primary care clinic setting. By using patient education, self-care support, and a simple daily routine, the project promotes prevention and early management before muscle stiffness progresses into chronic pain, decreased mobility, or higher health care utilization. The intervention is supported by Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory and the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice because it empowers patients to participate actively in their own care while allowing nurses to lead an evidence-based practice change. Overall, this project has the potential to improve self-reported muscle stiffness, increase patient self-efficacy, and support better functional outcomes in a vulnerable adult population.

References

Behm, D. G., Alizadeh, S., Daneshjoo, A., Anvar, S. H., Graham, A., Zahiri, A., & Konrad, A. (2023). Acute effects of various stretching techniques on range of motion: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine-Open, 9(1), 107. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-023-00652-x

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022). Employer-reported workplace injuries and illnesses — 2021. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/osh.nr0.htm

Çimen, O. (2023). The efficiency of ergonomics, active break and stretching exercise program in office workers with chronic neck and back pain. Deneysel ve Klinik Tıp Dergisi, 40(2), 329–332. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/omujecm/issue/79274/1282408

Cullen, L., Hanrahan, K., Farrington, M., Tucker, S., & Edmonds, S. (2022). Evidence-based practice in action: Comprehensive strategies, tools, and tips from University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Sigma Theta Tau.

Florida Department of Health. (2022). Florida musculoskeletal health data and statistics. https://www.floridahealth.gov

Theis, K. A., Murphy, L. B., Guglielmo, D., Boring, M. A., Okoro, C. A., Duca, L. M., & Barbour, K. E. (2021). Prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation — United States, 2016–2018. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(40), 1401–1407. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7040a2

Galmarini, E., Marciano, L., & Schulz, P. J. (2024). The effectiveness of visual-based interventions on health literacy in health care: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11138-1

Tanaka, M. (2022). Orem's nursing self-care deficit theory: A theoretical analysis focusing on its philosophical and sociological foundation. Nursing Forum, 57(3), 480–485. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12696

U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). American Community Survey: Health insurance coverage in the United States. https://www.census.gov/topics/health/health-insurance.html

United States Bone and Joint Initiative. (2021). The burden of musculoskeletal diseases in the United States: Prevalence, societal and economic cost (4th ed.). https://www.bmus-ors.org/

Zvetkova, E., Koytchev, E., Ivanov, I., Ranchev, S., & Antonov, A. (2023). Biomechanical, healing and therapeutic effects of stretching: A comprehensive review. Applied Sciences, 13(15), 8596. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13158596