Extensor Digitorum Brevis Stretch – Exercises and PNF Technique

Extensor Digitorum Brevis (EDB) is a small muscle in your foot. Translating from Latin to English, this muscle has the name “short toe extensor”. With that said, it’s easy to guess the function of this muscle.

EDB muscle function is extending the #2-4 toe and helping extensor hallucis longus and brevis in the extension of the 1st toe.

Now that you know the basic function of this muscle, let me show you effective stretches for EDB muscle.

Related: Extensor digitorum longus stretch, How to stretch extensor hallucis longus

How To Stretch Extensor Digitorum Brevis

The best way to stretch EDB muscle is to place your ankle in a neutral position and then passively move your #2-4 toe downwards, performing the flexion of the toes.

You can accomplish passive movement by grabbing your toes with your fingers and pulling your toes down. Hold for the 30s.

See the picture below.

How to Locate Extensor Digitorum Brevis?

Locate the lateral malleolus and palpate the fleshy enlargement a few cm anteriorly (forward) from the lateral malleolus. Make sure you’re not palpating the talus bone, since EDB muscle origin from the calcaneus bone.

To be 100% sure that you have found the EDB muscle, move your #2-4 toe up, while palpating the EDB muscle. This muscle is not so easy to palpate because EDB runs beneath the extensor digitorum longus muscle.

See the picture below.

PNF Stretching Technique for Extensor Digitorum Brevis

Using a Hold-relax technique will maximize the stretching effect on your EDB muscle. Even though this technique is easy to use, not everyone knows about it. Here is how it goes.

There are two phases you need to know.

The first one is the static stretch. That means you will find a pleasant stretching position for EDB muscle, and hold for 30s.

The second phase is to perform a static contraction of this muscle against your hand, but without moving your toes up. (isometric contraction)

Hold for 10s.

Complete this process a few times in a row going into a deeper stretch each new time. The hold-relax PNF technique will relax your EDB muscle even more than the usual stretch would.

Continue your stretching journey with help of home stretching equipment and stretching exercises books.