Year: 2023 | Month: October-December | Volume: 8 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 120-127
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/gijhsr.20230401
Study of Static Vs Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching of Tight Hamstrings, and Its Effect on Lower Limb Flexibility and Speed of Sprinter - A Comparative Study
Nallagatla Venkateshwarlu1, Enrico Maria Staderini2, Naveen Kumar Balne3
1Chief Physiotherapist, Sports authority of Andhra Pradesh, IGMC Stadium, Vijayawada, India.
2Prof. Enrico Maria Staderini, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy
3Faculty, Department of Physiotherapy, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India
Corresponding Author: Nallagatla Venkateshwarlu
ABSTRACT
Background: Hamstring injuries are one of the most common injuries seen in sprinters, leading to reduction in flexibility and speed in sprinters. The study aimed at comparing the two most appropriate methods of hamstring stretching, i.e., static stretching (SS) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching (PNFS), in sprinters for the management of tight hamstrings and measurement of their effectiveness on flexibility and speed.
Materials and Methods: After ethical clearance and informed consent, 80 male subjects who met inclusion criteria were recruited and randomised into the SS (n = 40) and PNFS (n = 40) groups. Baseline data on age, height, weight, BMI, hamstring flexibility (knee extension deficit (KED) on active knee extension test (AKET), and speed parameters (30-metre sprint test) documented at the beginning of the study and at the end of the 12-week study period.
Results and Conclusion: subjects showed variable results. Flexibility differences within groups pre- and post-intervention were statistically significant, but not between groups, indicating both methods are effective on flexibility. The differences in speed components of athletes were statistically significant within and between groups. The PNFS group has shown better improvements than the SS group on speed testing. This may be attributable to the neurological mechanism involved in the contract-relax method, where muscle is elongated and tone is stabilised during the contraction phase of PNF stretching.
Keywords: static stretching, PNF Stretching, knee extension deficit, active knee extension test, 30-meter sprint test, Pheezee, Range of motion tool, Hamstrings flexibility, Hamstrings tightness.